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JESSE    JAMES. 
^rom  a  Portrait  taken  after  death. 


rUlS  AND  BANK  ROBBERS  OF  THE  WEST 

^"'  A  ROMANTIC  BUT  FAITHFUL  STOP  v  r-- 

PERPETRATED  BY 

MISSOURI'S  DARING  OUTLAWS 

A  Thrilling  Story  of  the  Adventures  and  Exploits  of 

FRANK^JESSE  JAMES, 

Missouri's  Twin  Wraiths  of  Robbery  and  Murder, 

CONTAINING   A   COMPLETE  SKETCH    OF    THE    ROMANCE    OF     GUERRILLA     WARFARE; 

TOGETHER   WITH    A    GRAPHIC    AND    DETAILED    ACCOUNT   OF    THE 

ROBBERIES  AND  MURDERS  OF  TWENTY  YEARSJ  AND  THE 

LAST  DARING  FEATS  OF  THE  JAMES'  CONFEDERACY 

IN   THE  ROBBERY    AND   MURDER     ON   THE   ROCK    ISLAND  TRAIN,    JULY    14th, 

)8Sl,    AND  AT   GLENDALE,    MO.,   SEPT.    l/th,    iSSlJ    TO 

WHICH    IS   ADDED    AN   ACCOUNT   OF 

THE  TRAGIO  END  OF  JESSE  JAMES 

SHOT  BY  A  CONFEDERATE,  APRIL  3d,  1882. 

TOGETHER  WrFH 

A  Record  of  the  Wild  and  Reckless  Career  oi 

THE  YOUNGER  BROTHERS 

NOW  INCARCERATED  IN  THE  PENITENTIARY  AT  STILLWATER,  MINN. 


A28tti  Thousajid;  New  Edition,  Profusely  Illustrated,  Containir 
Portraits  of  Jesse  James  ana  Robert  Ford. 


CHICAGO,  NEW  YORK.  SAN  FRANCISCO  : 

BELFORD; CLARKE  &  CO 

1889. 


COPYRIGHTED. 

Belford,  Clarke    &    Co. 
1882 


LIST  OF  ILLUSTRATIONS. 


PART    I. 

THE  JAMES'   BOYS. 

Portrait  of  Jesse  James  after  death Froniisfiece. 

Tlie  Early  Home  of  the  James'  Boys 36 

A  Federal  Soldier  in  Petticoats 00 

Portrait  of  Charles  William  Quantrell 83 

The  Texas  Express  Robbed  at  Gad's  Hill i68 

Wild  Scene  at  Northfield— Charlie  Pitts  shot  dead 227 

Shieldsville— the  Ride  for  Life 282 

Death  of  Clell  Miller— "Oh  !  my  God  Boys,  I'm  done  for!"  234 

The  James'  Boys  at  a  Fandango  at  Monclova 247 

Alice  Gordon  rescued  by  Jesse  James 261 

Portrait  of  Robert  Ford,  the  man  who  Killed  Jesse  James. .  329 

PART    II. 

THE  YOUNGER  BROTHERS. 

The  Fight  at  Blue  Cut frontispiece. 

The  Attack  on  Flannery's  House. ...   43 

Cole  Younger  at  the  Louisiana  House  Race 91 

Assassination  of  Col.  Henry  W.  Younger 114 

Shooting  of  Fifteen  Prisoners 239 

Battle  of  Lone  Jack 103 

Quantrell's  Raid  at  Lawrence , 184 


CONTENTS. 


CHAPTER  I.— Introduction— Characteristics  of  the  Guenrtla»  - 
Courage  and  Patience— A  Rough  Code  of  Morals— Pride  hi  theit 
Hoises 9-ltJ 

CHAPTER  n.— The  James  Family— Life  a  Drama^The  Missouri 
Parsonage— Rev.  Robert  James — The  Mother  of  the  Bandits. 
17-22 

CHAPTER  III.— Childhood  and  Youth  of  Frank  and  Jesse  James 
—Death  of  the  Rev.  Robert  James— The  Widow's  Strujvgles— 
Dr.  Reuben  Samuels— The  Early  Habits  of  the  Young-  Guer- 
rillas         23-31 

CHAPTER  IV.—Quantrell's  Camp— The  Wand  of  Circumstance 
— The  Bloodthirsty  Jayhawkers — Murder  and  Plunder — Days 
and  Nights  of  Terror — Fighting  the  Wolves  by  the  Festering 
Dead— What  Made  Quantrell  the  Intrepid  Guerrilla  Chief. 
32-36 

CHAPTER  v.— Frank  James  Follows  Quantrell— The  Samuels 
Strong  for  the  South— Mrs.  Samuels  Hates  the  "  Boys  in  Blue" 
—Brutal  Outrage  at  the  Samuels'  Homestead— Dr.  Samuels  Left 
for  Dead— Mrs  Samuels  to  the  Rescue— Jesse  Tormented— The 
Federals  Make  a  Second  Raid— Mrs.  Samuels  and  Susie  in  Jail 
—Jesse   Becomes  a  Guerrilla.        .        .        .        ,        .        37-43 

CHAPTER  VI.— The  Terrible  Guerrilla  Oath— Quantrell's  Sagaci- 
ty—System and  Discipline  in  the  Camp—The  Awful  Oath— 
The  Vow  Administered  at  Midnight.        .        .        .        •     43-46 


^ 


4  Contents. 

CHAPTER  VII.— Opening  Fire— Richfield  and  Plattsburg— Feuds 
iu  Western  Missouri — Raid  on  Richfield — Frank  James  a  Scout 
— Moonlight  Interview  with  Mrs.  Samuels— Plattsburg  Cap- 
tured—The Spoils  of  War 47-52 

CHAPTER  VIII.— A  Carnival  of  Blood— Lawrence  Utterly  De- 
stroyed—Quantrell  Moves  Southwest — Skirmishing — Around 
the  Camp-fire  Aug.  the  I8th,  1868— Quantrell's  Speech— Lau- 
rence or  Hell — A  Day  of  Doom — Frank  and  Jesse  Kill  Sixty-five 
Men 58-58 

CHAPTER  IX.— A  Bloody  Catalogue— Quantrell's  Squads— Wild 
Rush  on  Capt.  Ransom's  Cavalry — Frank  and  Jesse  in  Kansas 
Dealing  out  Death  and  Doom  Defeat  of  the  Colorado  Troops- 
Frank  at  Harrisonville — Jesse  Wounded— Struggle  at  Fayette — 
Jesse's  Gallant  Rescue  of  Lee  McMurtry.       .        .        .        59-65 

CHAPTER  X.— More  Direful  Deeds— A  Ghastly  Moonlight  Scene 
— Seige  of  a  Bagnio — One  Deed  of  Mercy— Centralia — Frank 
Adds  Eight  to  His  Death  Roll — Murder  of  Banes — Jesse 
Wounded— Todd  Dies— Quantrell's  Band  Broken  Up.     .     66-73 

CHAPTER  XI.— On  the  War  Path  with  Jesse— Jesse  Follows 
Shepherd  into'Texas — Capt.  Goss  and  the  Rev.  W.  P.  Gardnier 
are  murdered — The  Pin  Indians — Jesse's  Wild  Leap— A  Quiet 
Winter — In  Missouri  Again — Brutal  Murder  of  James  Harkness 
— Allan  Duncan's  Wood-chopping  Stopped — Jesse  Wounded 
Again 74-78 

CHAPTER  XII.— With  Frank  in  Kentucky— Quantrell's  Last 
Command — Journey  into  Kentucky — Cowardice  and  Valor  at 
Hopkins ville — Frank  Shoots  Capt.  Frank  Burnette — A  Federal 
Troop  Exterminated —Quantrell's  Last  Fight — The  Guerrilla's 
Surrender 69-84 

(jHAPTER  XIII.— After  the  War  More  Trouble— Frank  at 
Brandensburg — Arrested  as  a  Horse-thief—Badly  Wounded— 
Robbery  of  Liberty  Bank — Jesse  Beseiged-— Dead  Men  out  in 
the  Snow— Jesse  Sought  for  in  Vain 85-93 

CHAPTER  XIV.— The  Mask  of  Cain—"  We've  Got  the  Name, 
We'll  Have  the  Game" — Frank  and  Jesse  in  Kentucky — Heroes 


Contents.  5 

of  the  Hour--"  None  but  the  Brave  Deserve  the  Fair" — Will 
Murderers  Turn  Robbers  V — Inaction  Intolerable — Future  Plans. 
94-99 

CHAPTER  XV.— Ex-Guerrillas  in  Kentucky— Dick  Kinney's 
Pistol— The  Robbery  of  Russell ville  Bank— $100,000  Haul— 
Wlio  Did  the  Robbing  ?  —  Desperate  Hunt  for  the  Raiders — OIL 
Shepherd  Shot  Dead — Frank  and  Jesse  Off  to  the  Golden 
Gate.  .     .        .      • 100-108 

CHAPTER  XVI. -Out  in  the  Golden  West— Jesse  Sails  for  Cali- 
fornia— Frank  Journeys  Westward — The  Brothers  Meet — Quiet 
Life  in  Paso  Robel — Pleasant  Days  in  the  Sierras — Shaking  Up 
the  Encampment  of  Battle  Mountain — A  Fatal  Game  and  a 
Fearful  Night 109-118 

CHAPTER  XVII.— Return  of  the  Ishmaelites— Bank  Robbery  at 
Gallatin — Who  Were  the  Robbers? — Jesse  Denies  all  Share— 
Thomason's  Band  Attempt  to  Arrest  Frank  and  Jesse  -Mrs. 
Samuel's  Again 119-136 

CHAPTER  XVIII.— Bank  Plundering  Continued— Raid  at  Co- 
lumbia, Kentucky — Murder  of  Mr.  Martin — Another  Fruitless 
Chase — The  Robbers  at  Corydon  Iowa — $40,000  at  a  Sweep ! 
127-181 

CHAPTER  XIX.- A  Chapter  Without  Blood— Frank  and  Jesse 
James  as  Gentlemen  at  Large — Equal  to  Every  Emergency — 
The  Grim  Joke  of  the  Brothers  Hunting  for  Themselves — Jesse 
Playing  Rustic 133-139 

CHAPTER  XX.— Kansas  and  Ste.  Genevieve — Fair  Day  in  Kan- 
sas City — Sudden  Change  in  the  Day's  Diversions — The  Cash 
Box  Stolen — Ste.  Genevieve — The  Bank  Plundered — The  Rob- 
bers Escape 140-149 

CHAPTER  XXL— Train  Wrecking— The  Council  of  July— A  New 

Departure — The  Watchers  for  the  Train — Day  Dawn  Sunday, 

July  21st,  1873— The  Train  Wrecked— The  Passengers  Robbed. 

,        .        .        .       150-154 

CHAPTER  XXII. —The  Robber  Brood  in  Arkansas— Robbing  In- 
valids—The Gains'  Place  Stage— A  Mystic  Circle— A  Strange 


fi  Contents. 

Bill  of  Merchandise— Shameless  Taunts  and  Insults.        155-163 

CHAPTER  XXIII.— Another  Train  Wrecked— Gadshill— The 
Station  Agents  Made  Prisoners—The  Train  Boarded— A  Clean 
Sweep— They  Want  to  Roast  Pinkerton's  Heart— The  Boys 
Hunted ,        .        .        163-167 

CHAPTER  XXIV.— An  Episode  at  Bentonville— The  Companion 
of  tlie  James  Boys— Hunting  in  Earnest— A  most  Determined 
Search— Union  of  Forces  — A  Dark  Tragedy  near  Theodoric 
Snuffer's— John  Younger's  Last  Shot.         .        .        .        168-175 

CHAPTER  XXV.— John  W.  Wicher,  of  Chicago  —  Pinkerton's 
Coolest.  Bravest  Man — On  the  Track  of  Jesse  James  —  Jim 
Latche  Spots  the  Detective  at  Liberty— Wicher  Turned  Tramp 
— Jesse  and  Wicher  Face  to  Face — "  I  want  Farmwork  to  Do  I  " 
-  Wicher's  Last  Ride— Tortui*e  and  Death!        .        .        176-183 

CHAPTER  XXVI.— The  Assault  on  Castle  James— Lull,  Daniels 
and  Wicher  to  be  Avenged — The  James  Boys  to  be  Caught — The 
Assault  on  the  Samuels'  Residence — An  Awful  Scene  of  Fire  and 
Blood— Frank  and  Jesse  still  Uncaught !  .  .         184-189 

CHAPTER  XXVII.— The  Tide  Turns- General  Jones's  Bill— The 
Amnesty  Bill  Fails— If  the  Bill  had  Not  Failed,  W^hat  Then?— 
Vengeance!— Who  Killed  Dan  Askew?        .        .        ,        190-196 

CHAPTER  XXVIII.  —  The  San  Antonio  Stage  —  Plundering  a 
Bishop!— A  $3,000  Haul— A  Big, Bonanza  at  Muncie  — Train 
Boarded— $30,000  in  Gold  Dust,  and  $25,000  in  Cash— McDaniels 
Avould  not  Squeal!        ......         .         197-207 

CHAPTER  XXIX.— The  War  Carried  into  Virginia!— Half  an 
Hour  at  the  Huntingdon  Bank!— $10,000  in  Thirty  Minutes!— 
Tomason  McDaniels  Killed!— A  Four  Weeks'  Hunt— Jack  Keen 
Captured! 208-212 

CHAPTER  XXX.— The  Rocky  Cut  Sensation— The  Boys  at  Otter- 
ville— The  Train  on  the  Lamine  Bridge— The  Red  Light— $17,- 
000  in  an  Hour— Away  into  the  Darkness — Hobbs  Kerry  and 
the  Whisky — Kerry  Squeals — "A  Good  Peacher" — 'Fesses  too 
Much.         ".*..-  ,        .        .        213-220 


Contents,  7 

CHAPTER  XXXI.— A  Minnesota  Record  Wilder  than  Roma&ee— 
The  Robbers  in  Council  -The  Place  of  Raid  Decided  Upon— BiU 
Chadwell  to  be  Guide — The  Four-fold  Tragedy  of  Northfield — 
The  Fatal  6th  of  September — Haywood  Shot  Dead — Bunke.v 
Wounded— Tlie  Scene  in  the  Sti-eets— The  Gallant  Dr.  Wlieeler 
—Bill  Chadwell  and  Charlie  Pitts  Shot  Dead— A  Black  Thurs- 
day for  the  Robber  Band — "It  seemed  as  if  Hell  was  let  Loose.*' 
221-230 

CHAPTER  XXXII.— IMinnesota  Tragedy  Continued— Hunted  to 
Death — The  Citizens  in  Hot  Pursuit — Four  Hundred  Hunting 
Six— The  Paths  Divide— The  Sad  Fate  of  the  Youngers— Clell 
Miller — The  Swamp  by  the  Watonwan  River — Frank  and  Jesse 
Escape 231-238 

CHAPTER  XXXIII.— The  James  Boys  Among  the  Mexicans- 
The  Fandango  at  Matamoras — Frank  and  Jesse  Paor  Dancers — 
The  Fight— The  Plunge  into  the  Rio  Grande — Stirring  Times 
near  Carmen — The  Noontide  Rest  at  the  Fountain — Th^  Bold 
and  Successful  Raid. 2-39-245 

CHAPTER   XXXIV.— More  Mexican  Adventures— The  Rogues 
Meeting-j^^  lace  at  Piedras    Negras — Wounding    and  Killing — 
Brigands  in  Ambush — Meeting  an  Old  Friend — A  Fandango  at 
Monclova — The  Festivities  Disturbed — Never  Surrender. 
.  246-253 

CHAPTER  XXXV.— Still  in  Mexico— Border  Cattle  Thieves  — 
Frank  and  Jesse  Raid  Palacios'  Band  of  Robbers — A  Desperate 
Fight  for  Life—'-  I've  Given  the  Vultures  Work  for  To-night." 
.  • 254—259 

CHAPTER  XXXVI.— Another  Romance  of  the  Pecos  Valley  — 
Mexican  Robbers — The  Fair  Alice  Gordon — On  the  Other  Side 
of  the  Rio  Grande — The  Death  of  Bustenado — Alice  Gordon 
Rescued.  ......  260-263 

CHAPTER  XXXVII.— The  Robbery  of  the  Express  at  Big  Springs 
—The  Campers  at  Ogallala— $62,000  Haul— Jim  Berry  and  the 
Bandanas — Who  was  the  Mysterious  Unknown?       .        264-268 


8  Contents. 

CHAPTER  XXXVIIL— Another  Railway  Raid— The  Solitudes  of 
Glendale — The  Whole  Population  of  Glendale  Imprisoned— The 
Night  Express  from  St.  Louis— Jj; 30, 000  Haul— Search  for  the 
Robbers— A  Plot  to  Murder  Jesse  James.  .         .  269-27H 

CHAPTER  XXXIX —The  Mammoth  Cave  Stages— The  Last  of 
the  Stage  Robberies — Tlie  Solitary  Lady— Catalogue  of  the  Swag 
— "  Give  my  Love  to  the  Girls."  .....  270-;38:i 

CHAPTER  XL.— The  Last  Dark  Deeds  of  the  James  Gang— More 
Robberv  and  Bloodshed— William  Westfall  and  J.  McMillan  tlu- 
Last  victims  of  th  '  Bloody  Confederation— The  Demoralized 
Passengers. 284— '291 

CHAPTER  XLI.— Further  Particulars— Testimony  of  Eye  Wit- 
nesses— Were  Frank  and  Jesse  James  at  the  Head  V— Opinions 
of  Sheriff  Crosby  and  Billy  Pinkerton— Mr.  Henkel  of  Chicago 
and  Major  Scott' Anthony  of  Denver  Interviewed.      .      292--301 

CHAPTER  XLII.  —  Another  Daring  Robbery  —  Glendale  Once 
More— The  Chicago  and  Alton  Tiain  Raided— The  Heroic  Con- 
duct of  Conductor  Hazelbaker— The  Affrighted  Passengers— 
The  Testimonv  of  Eye  Witnesses— '' Drink  to  Jesse  James"'  — 
Who  W^ere  the  Robbers  ?  302-311 

CHAPTER  XLIII.— A  Sudden  Turn  of  Fortune's  Wheel— Light 
on  the  Blue  Cut  Robbery  —  The  AVhole  Gang  Given  A\yay  by  a 
Confederate — John  Land's  Confession- Governor  Crittenden 
Resolved  to  Rid  Missouri  of  the  Bandits—  Secresv  and  Si- 
lence  ^      :i]2-31S 

CHAPTER  XLIV.— The  Plot  Thickens—Governor  C^rittenden  in 
Earnest — The  INIysterious  Woman — Dick  Little  Surrenders— His 
Confession— Jesse's  Quiet  Life  at  St.  Joseph  —  La.st  Visit  Home 
-Bob  Ford's  Plot.         .  ......  319-327 

CHAPTER  XLV.  —  Tragic  End  of  Jesse  James— Jesse  Grows 
Nervous  —  Plot  to  Rob  the  Platte  City  Bank  —  The  Fatal  April 
Morning — Jes.se  James  Shot  Dead  ! — Dies  in  His  Wife's  Arms- 
Universal  Consternation — Robert  Ford's  Storv.         .         328-337 

CHAPTER  XLVI— After  the  Tragedy— Universal  Consternation- 
Hard  to  Believe  that  Jesse  is  Really  Dead — Conflicting  Opinions 
Concerning  Bob  Ford — What  an  Old  Independence  Confederate 
Thinks 338-343 

CHAPTER  XLVII  — The  Coroner's  Inquest— Intense  Desire  to 
See  the  Dead  Bandit, — Mrs.  Samuels  Sent  For. —  Harrowing 
Scenes  in  the  Court  House. — Her  Encounter  With  Dick  Little 
The  Inquest  — Mrs.  Samuels  Begs  the  Body  f)f  Her  Son. — 344-350 

CHAPTER  XLVIIL— The  Last  of  Earth— Removal  of  the  Body 
of  Jesse  James  to  Kearney — Throngs  on  the  Way — Arrival  at 
His  Early  Home— The  Service  in  the  Baptist  Church — Ashes  to 
Ashes.  .        .  354-351 


Contents,  9 

PART    IT. 
Col.  Henry  Washington  Younger. 

The  Father  of  the  Bandits ^ 

Jayhawkers  and  Guerrillas 11 

Murder  of  Col.  H.  W.  Younger 12 

Robbers  IMissing  the  Spoils 13 

Mrs.  Younger,  Mother  of  the  Bandits. 

Fires  her  house  in  self-defence , V6 

Dies  at  Lafayette '. .  •  •  14 

Richard  Younger. 

The  Eldest  Son,  dies  in  1860 U 

Thomas  Coleman  Younger.    • 

Captain  Wallej'  Avants  to  raise  a  quariel  with  Cole  Younger  18 

Cole's  Stock  Stolen  and  his  Grain  bins  fired 21 

Joins  Quantrell's  band,  1863 22 

Becomes  a  Confederate  Soldier  under  Price 23 

Home  after  the  War 24 

Hunted  by  Jayhawkers 26 

The  Louisiana  Horse  Race 28 

Cole's  Letter  of  Explanation 30 

With  Quantrell  on  the  Little  Blue 36 

The  Deadly  Fight  at  Flannery's 37 

The  Barbai-ous  Murder  of  young  Blythe 44 

The  Blue  Cut  Slaughter 46 

The  Indian  Creek  Fight 48 

Cole  becomes  Quantrell's  First  Lieutenant s 53 

Quantrell's  Horn 55 

Cole  Kills  his  Cousin 60 

Another  Battle  at  Blue  Cut 66 

The  Walnut  Creek  Fight 68 

Cole  Wounded  in  Jackson  County 76 

Terrific  Fight  with  Jayhawkers 78 

Cole  has  a  Narrow  Escape 88 

The  Militia  Fairly  Trapped 90 

The  Fight  at  Independence 96 

The  Battle  of  Lone  Jack 99 

Cole  goes  to  see  his  dead  Father 127 

Swears  Solemn  Vengeance 128 


10  Contents. 

Fight  at  Pleasant  Hill 128 

Sortie  in  Jackson  County 139 

••  My  Mare  Smells  Fed's  ! !' 133 

Three  of  Cole's  Sisters  imprisoned 13S 

Death  of  Eight  Ladies  in  the  falling  prison     138 

Faithful  Old  Sue -  •  143 

A  Brush  at  Blue  Springs 144 

The  Terrible  Raid  on  Lawrence 149 

Dr.  Fisher's  Story 156 

iShaking  up  the  '*  Fed"s "'  at  Baxter  Creek 162 

Fight  with  General  Blunt's  Body  Guard 163 

James  H.  Younger. 

Joins  Quantrell's  Band  in  1863 170 

A  Swim  for  Life 173 

A  Federal  Camp  raided 175 

James  Captured  and  sent  to  Alton  Prison 176 

John  Younger. 

The  Consollas  Affair 166 

John  at  15  years  of  age  "  Kills  his  Man  " 177 

Inhuman  Treatment  of  John  by  Jayhawkers 179 

Murderous  Fray  at  Dallas 180 

.Tumps  from  a  Railway  Train 184 

"Would  not  be  a  Horse-thief 187 

John  Speaks  in  his  own  Defence 187 

John  Shot  by  Captain  Lull 177 

Various  Accounts  of  John's  Death 201 

Miscellaneous. 

Robert  E.  Younger  makes  an  Eloquent  Speech 218 

The  Hot  Springs  Robbery 224 

Skirmish  at  Neosho,  Mo 227 

Battle  of  Poison  Springs.  Ark 234 

The  Battle  of  Clear  Creek.  Mo 238 

Plight  at  Port  Union,  Kansas 244 

Letter  of  "  M.  S.  O." 249 

Robbery  of  Quincv  Bank,  111 255 

Marthng,  Mo.,  Safe  Robbery 257 

Osceola  Savings  Bank,  Mo 257 

Robbery  at  Clinton 261 

Proposed  pardon  of  the  Youngers 261 

"  Republican's  "  plea  for  tlie  James'  Boys,  and  the  Youngers  264 

Detailed  account  of  the  Northfield  raid 273 


CHAPTEE    I. 

INTRODUCTORY. 

CHARACTERISTICS  OF  THE  GUERRILLAS — COURAGE  AirD 

PATIENCE — A   ROUGH  CODE    OF    MORALS — 

PRIDE    IN     THEIR     HORSES. 

*'A  blush  as  of  roses, 

Where  rose  never  grew, 
Great  drops  on  the  bunch  grass 

But  not  of  the  dew! 
A  taint  in  the  sweet  air 

For  wild  birds  to  share 
A  stain  that  shall  never 

Bleach  out  in  the  sun.  " 

The  great  Republic  of  America  is  only  in  the 
morning  of  her  days.  Time  has  not  3^et  plowed  one 
wrinkle  on  her  wide  shining  brow.  Young  among 
the  empires  of  the  earth,  she  has  given  proof  of 
dauntless  courage  and  of  a  most  astonishing  vitality. 
And  if  the  past  be  a  fair  augury  for  the  future,  then 
it  is  safe  to  prophesy  that  America  will  be  no  lag- 
gard in  the  race  of  Nations.  The  pages  of  her  brief 
history  are  rich  in  romance  and  replete  with  in- 
struction. Her  young  days,  were  days  crowded 
with  earnest,  honest  toil.     The  sturdy  pioneer  swung 

(9) 


10  The  Life  of  Frank  and  Jesse  James, 

his  axe  in  the  forest,  and  the  wild  woods  echoed 
back  the  music  of  happy  work.  And  if  these  pio- 
neer days  of  America  were  more  prosy  than  poetic, 
they  were  certainly  not  unhappy.  With  growth 
comes  danger.  Wiih  procperity  comes  peril.  The 
great  Republic  had  scarcely  marched  into  the  old 
age  of  her  first  century  when  the  crowning  disastei 
of  Civil  War  darkened  the  land  from  Atlantic  to 
Pacific.  The  storm  had  been  long  gathering.  The 
crash  was  inevitable.  It  was  manifest  destiny  that 
North  and  South  should  meet  in  deadly  conflict. 
The  dwellers  at  the  base  of  Mount  Vesuivius  hear 
for  many  days,  mutterings  and  grumblings  deep 
and  low,  before  the  fiery  crater  belches  forth  her 
tides  of  burning  lava.  And  thoughtful  men  given 
to  examining  carefully  the  signs  of  the  times  fore- 
saw for  many  a  day  that  nothing  less  than  a  baptism 
of  blood  would  purge  the  land  from  the  * 'perilous 
stuff,''  that  threatened  its  well-being. 

The  shot  fired  on  Fort  Sumter  echoed  round  the 
world  and  announced  that  the  great  testing  time 
for  America  had  come.  Saddest  of  all  things  sad, — 
for  a  country  young  or  old — is  the  scourge  of  civil 
war.  War  in  any  form,  under  an\^  circumstances, 
is  an  unmitigated  curse.  But  when  the  strife  is 
between  brothers  born  beneath  the  same  flag,  and 
nurtured  in  the  same  Fatherland,  then  "Glorious 
War"  crowns  herself  with  her  chief  horrors! 

"When  Greek  meets  Greek 
Then  comes  the  tug  of  war." 

And  when  the  Boys  in  Blue  met  the  Boys  in  Grey, 


Introductory,  11 

then  came  a  conflict  long  and  bloody  and  remorse- 
less. That  war-stained  page  is  the  saddest,  but  not 
the  least  instructive  of  all  America's  young  history. 
That  page  is  damp  yet  with  the  blood  of  the  bravest 
in  all  the  land,  and  saturated  with  the  tears  of  the 
bereaved  and  broken-hearted.  That  page  records — 
concerning  both  sides — a  bravery  that  knew  no 
parallel,  an  endurance  that  was  sublime. 

One  of  the  chief  curses  of  a  civil  war  is  the  legacy 
of  bitterness  and  strife  it  leaves  behind  it.  The  seeds 
sown  through  all  its  gory  fields  wave  in  the  har- 
vests of  subbociuent  years.  And  feuds  are  engen- 
dered that  live  through  many  generations.  Indeed 
it  is  utterly  impossible  to  exaggerate,  by  any  form 
of  speech  the  monstrous  brood  of  evils  to  which  tliese 
bloody  wars  give  birth.  The  borders  of  Missouri 
and  Kansas  were  smitten,  as  with  a  curse,  by  the 
daring  exploits  of  as  wild  a  band  of  marauders 
as  ever  laughed  law  and  authority  to  scorn.  These 
guerrilla  bands,  of  which  the  bloodthirsty  Quantrell 
was  a  chief,  and  Jesse  and  Frank  James  renowned 
subalterns — were  the  offspring  of  the  war.  They 
have  been  fitly  described  as  ''The  sable  fringe  on  the 
blood  red  garments  of  civil  strife."  These  wild 
intrepid  warriors  loved  to  be  feared.  To  have  their 
names  become  signs  of  terror  and  dismay  fed  their 
pride,  and  the  topmost  height  of  their  ambition  was 
to  be  dreaded.  They  established  in  their  own  per- 
sons an  aristocracy  of  reckless  daring.  They  were 
cruel  as  they  were  cunning.  They  blended  in  their 
character  the  remorseless  cruelty  of  the  tiger,  with 


12  The  Life  of  Frank  and  Jesse  James. 

the  subtlety  of  the  fox.  They  were  prodigal  of  life. 
Shedding  human  blood  had  no  horrors  for  them. 
They  would  spill  blood  as  freely  as  they  would  spill 
water,  and  with  just  as  little  reluctance  or  care.  A 
guerrilla  would  ask  no  quarter  he  would  give  none! 
The  word  compromise,  and  what  the  word  repre- 
sented, was  not  in  his  lexicon.  He  was  a  follower 
of  Quantreil's  black  flag  and  scorned  to  be  afraid. 
When  death  came  he  met  it,  and  died  as  the  Red 
Indian  dies— stoical,  silent,  and  grim  as  a  stone. 

There  were,  however,  elements  of  character 
developed  by  these  border  banditti  worthy  of  a 
nobler  cause.  They  were  as  courageous  as  the 
Spartans  of  the  old  heroic  age.  They  were  as  valor- 
ous as  the  Roman  in  his  military  pride.  They  recog- 
nized cowardice  as  the  chief  crime,  and  courage  as 
the  cardinal  virtue.  A  man  who  under  any  circum- 
stances or  in  answer  to  any  plea,  would  think  of 
parleying  with  a  foe,  even  if  that  foe  were  his 
brother  or  kinsman,  was  unfit  to  follow  Quantreil's 
dread  lead,  and  a  man  who  would  dream  of  craving 
mercy  for  himself  could  have  no  place  beneath 
the  Guerrilla's  black  banner  of  death.  To  kill,  or  to 
be  killed,  without  the  movement  of  a  muscle  or  the 
throbbing  of  a  nerve  was  the  business  of  these  out- 
laws. To  this  stern  iron  courage  they  added  a  most 
sagacious  and  unwearying  patience.  They  were 
tireless  in  their  strange  vigils.  Detailed  to  watch 
around  a  farmstead  or  a  mountain  pass,  they  would 
lie  in  secret  ambush  for  weeks.  And  through  all 
sorts  of  weather,  in  cold  or  heat,  in  hunger  or  thirst, 


Iritrodiictory.  13 

they  woulf^  «vait  and  watch  unseen,  till  in  the  early 
morning,  o^  by  the  clouded  moonlight  their  unsus- 
pecting  victims  would  ride  along.  A  dozen  pistol 
shots  would  ring  through  the  silent  night;  the 
doomed  riders  would  fall  dead  from  their  horses;  and 
without  a  word  the  guerillas  would  return  to  Quant- 
rell's  camp  to  announce  their  task  accomplished. 
They  led  a  strange  unequal  life.  There  was  no 
'^even  tenor"  in  their  way.  Hungry  almost  to  star- 
vation to-day,  to-morrow  they  would  be  banqueting 
in  luxury.  To-day,  merry  and  glad  and  free;  filling 
the  air  with  jocund  laughter,  making  the  hill-sides 
echo  with  their  wild  songs;  to-morrow  riding  for 
dear  life,  at  break-neck  speed,  in  the  very  teeth  of 
danger,  pursuing  or  pursued;  following  their  foes,  or 
being  hunted  like  wild  beasts.  Such  was  the  certain 
uncertainty  of  their  lives.  The  genius  who  presides 
over  the  fortunes  of  war  is  a  fickle  jade.  Fickle  to 
regular  organized  armies,  but  a  thousand  times  more 
fickle  to  these  irregular  warriors  of  the  Border. 

But  there  was  one  thing  to  be  admired  in  the 
rough  regulations  of  the  Banditti.  There  was  no 
spirit  of  coercion.  No  recruit  was  kept  against  his 
will.  Free  to  come,  he  was  also  free  to  go.  If 
wearied  of  the  strife,  no  attempt  was  made  to  retain 
him.  The  deserters  from  these  ranks  of  desperadoes 
were  very  few.  The  life  once  entered  upon  seemed 
to  grow  in  wild  romance.  Every  startling  escapade 
gave  promise  of  something  still  more  exciting  to 
follow.  Every  succeesful  raid  sharpened  the 
appetite    for  another    fray.      Every  taste  of  dan- 


14  The  Life  of  Frank  and  Jesse  James, 

^v  aroused  within  him    the  spirit  of    wild  revolt. 

Much  has  been  said  and  written  in  harsh  con- 
demnation of  these  guerrilla  bands  ;  and  their  deeds 
were  appalling  enough  to  warrant  the  harshest  con- 
demriation.  It  must  nevertheless  be  admitted  that 
they,  after  their  fashion,  illustrated  the  old  adage 
that  there  is  "honor  amongst  thieves."  They  had  a 
rough  and  ready  code  of  morals.  The  very  fashion 
of  their  challenge  was  an  indication  suggestive  of 
some  due  appreciation  of  character.  The  old  high- 
wayman would  bid  you  stand  and  deliver  with  the 
brief  formula,  **  Your  money  or  your  life.  The  chal- 
lenge of  the  picket  on  the  Potomac  was  ''Who  goes 
there  ?"  and  if  .the  challenge  was  unanswered  after 
being  thrice  repeated,  the  picket  fired.  The  guerril- 
la's challenge  was  brief  and  his  action  quick — "Who 
are  you  ?"  he  cried;  he  paused  a  moment,  and  if  no 
answer  came  he  fired. 

Much  has  been  said  to  the  charge  of  these  guer- 
rillas for  which  they  are  by  no  means  responsible. 
Every  mean  and  dastardly  thing  done  in  the  war 
was  charged  to  their  account.  There  followed  the 
armies  of  both  North  and  South  a  string  of  miser- 
able, idle  thieves,  who  robbed  the  dying  and  plun- 
dered the  dead.  Human  fiends  whose  meanness  was 
only  equalled  by  their  craven  cowardice.  Parasites 
who'prey ed  not  on  the  living  but  on  the  dead.  These 
shameless  wretches  had,  as  may  be  well  imagined, 
no  reverence  for  the  sanctity  of  women.  When  their 
greed  was  satisfied,  then  they  sought  for  the  grati- 
fication of  their  lust.     And  of  course  the  fairer  and 


Introductory,  io 

the  gentler  their  victims  were,  the  more  rletermin- 
ately  did  they  enforce  them  to  the  bcitisf action  of 
therr  diabolical  desires.  Wluit  mattered  !  Dying  or 
dead,  women  or  children  !  These  ghouls  of  perdi- 
tion had  burned  out  every  element  of  humanity  in 
the  fires  of  their  brutal  passions.  The  vulture 
clutching  its  prey,  the  wild  tiger  in  the  jungle  were 
not  less  merciful  than  these  inhuman  creatures, 
whose  ears  were  deaf  and  whose  hearts  were  stone 
to  the  prayers  and  pleadings  of  helpless  children  and 
innocent,  unoffendmg  women.  And  for  all  these 
barbarous  exploits  the  guerrillas  were  unjustly  held 
responsible.  Cruel  and  bold  and  desperate  the  guer- 
rillas were,  but  never  mean.  They  knew  how  to  be 
faithful  to  a  friend,  as  well  as  to  be  bitter  to  a  foe. 
There  was  a  Free  Masonry  amongst  them  held  very 
sacred.  And  fidelity  to  each  other  was  one  of  its 
chief  elements.  Strict  disciplinarians,  they  were 
ordered  to  respect  the  purity  of  women  and  the  help- 
lessness of  children  in  all  their  rough  warfare,  and 
they  obeyed  the  regulation. 

Their  skillful  horsemanship  and  their  love  for  their 
horses  was  quite  a  distinctive  feature  in  their  rude 
characters.  Their  wild,  dashing,  flying,  rather  than 
riding,  would  almost *favor  fche  impression  that  they 
must  have  been  cradled  on  horseback.  And  there 
soon  sprung  up  between  the  horse  and  his  rider 
something  very  nigh  akin  to  affection.  If  one  must 
go  hungry,  the  guerrilla  was  content  to  accept  the 
situation  and  give  the  corn  he  needed  himself  to  his 
horse.     In  the  keen,  bitter  nights  of  winter  the  horse 


16  The  Life  of  Frank  and  Jesse  James. 

must  be  well  blanketed  however  the  rider  fared. 
Many  stories,  that  have  almost  a  fabulous  air,  are 
told  of  the  almost  human  sense  displayed  by  the^ 
horses  of  the  guerrillas.  They  were  as  eager  in  bat- 
tle as  their  masters,  and  when  swiftness  and  silence 
were  needed  they  knew  how  to  speed  on  without  the 
stimulus  of  whip  or  spur,  never  once  disturbing  the 
stillness  by  neigh  or  whinny.  There  is  something 
to  be  said  for  a  man  who  is  kind  to  his  horse.  He 
will  not  make  a  less  valiant  soldier  because  he  is 
thoughtful  of  the  steed  who  shares  with  him  the  for- 
tunes of  the  fray.  Indeed,  it  has  often  been  said 
that  a  soldier's  treatment  of  his  horse  might  be  taken 
as  a  fair  indication  of  his  fitness  for  the  field  of  bat- 
tle. Murat,  the  great  Ftench  general,  used  to  say, 
that  the  best  and  bravest  among  the  cuirassiers  were 
those  who  embraced  their  horses  before  they  did  their 
mistresses. 

Amongst  the  bravest  and  most  daring  of  Quan- 
trelFs  desperate  followers ;  amongst  the  most  un- 
compromising and  determined  of  this  wild,  lawless 
horde,  that  kept  the  borders  of  Kansas  and  Missouri 
in  perpetual  fear  and  turmoil,  were  Jesse  and  Frank 
James.  The  fearless  exploits  of  these  brothers  have 
^one  on  for  more  than  twenty  years.  They  have 
been  hunted  in  vain  by  thousands  of  armed  men. 
Rewards  have  been  offered  for  their  capture,  amount- 
ing in  all  to  seventy-five  thousand  dollars.  But  the 
rewards  have  been  offered  in  vain.  Fleet  and  fickle 
as  the  wandering  wind,  they  have  eluded  their  pur- 
suers.    They  are  still  outlaws,  but  free. 


CHAPTER    II, 

THE  JAMES  FAMILY. 

UTB    A    DRAMA  —  THE     MISSOURI    PARSONAGE  —  REV 

ROBERT  JAMES — THE  MOTHER 

OP  THE  BANDITS. 

**  All  the  world's  a  stage. 
And  all  the  men  and  women  merely  players 
They  have  their  exits  and  their  entrances. 
And  each  man  in  his  turn 

Plays  many  parts." 

— Shakespeare* 

There  is  nothing  half  so  strange  in  all  the  realm  of 
fiction,  as  may  be  found  in  the  stern  facts  of  life. 
The  novelist  may  charm  us  with  his  dream's  of  the 
wonderful ;  but  when  the  checquered  lives  of  men 
pass  before  us  in  all  their  strange  variety  of  experi- 
ence, the  novelist's  dreams  fade  utterly  away,  in 
the  presence  of  the  real  wonders  that  throb  and 
^hrill  through  the  common  histories  of  men.  The 
world  is  the  real  stage  after  all,  and  men  and  women 
ji;ie  th3  only  real  players.  The  mimic  stage  where 
tho  actev  frets  and  fumes  his  hour  away,  is  but  a 
^assj'i^  show,  to  amuse,  perchance  to  instruct.    But 


18  The  Life  of  Frank  and  Jesse  James. 

it  is  in  the  world's  theatre  of  life  where  you  will  find 
how  the  true  actors  groan  out  and  die  their  tragedy, 
or  laugh  in  merriest  mood  all  through  the  comedy  oi 
being.  On  the  hills  and  in  the  low  lands  ;  in  the 
quiet  farmstead  and  the  crowded  city  ;  by  the  camp- 
fire  of  the  wanderer  and  in  the  wigwam  of  the  In- 
dian; before  the  mast,  daring  the  tempest  in  its 
wildest  fury  ;  in  the  mine,  digging  for  earth's  secret 
treasures  ;  here,  and  in  all  places  w^iere  pulses  throb 
and  human  hearts  are  beating,  the  true  drama  of 
life  is  being  evermore  enacted.  Not  in  the  airy 
speculations  of  romance,  not  in  the  dreams  of  the 
poet ;  but  in  the  lives  of  men  is  the  secret  of  the 
truly  wonderful. 

The  story  of  these  pages  is  an  illustration  of  this 
sentiment.  The  history  of  these  Border  Bandits, 
Frank  and  Jesse  James,  is  a  record  of  thrilling  fact 
and  bold  adventure  calling  back  the  memories  of 
Robin  Hood  and  Little  John,  and  all  the  merry  men 
of  Sherwood  forest ;  or  the  later  exploits  of  Dick 
Turpin  and  the  midnight  marau  'erers  of  the  old 
Avorld. 

Jesse  and  Frank  James  were  born  of  respectable 
well-to-do  parents  and  in  circumstances  that  gave 
little  indication  of  their  future  remarkable  career. 
Sometimes  a  morning  breaks  in  calm  and  placid 
beauty  ;  the  sky  is  cloudless  and  the  sun  shines 
bright  and  fair ;  but  before  noon  the  thunder  rolls  its 
angry  chariot,  and  the  sky  is  black  with  storm  and 
tempest.  And  you  wonder  that  a  da\  that  dawned 
'>  fair  could  hold  concealed  in  its  shining  bosom  so 


The   Juhies  Family.  1? 

fierce  a  tempest.  And  surely  no  prophet  could  have 
foretold  so  dark  and  appalling  a  career  for  these  two 
boys ;  cradled  and  nurtured  as  they  were  amid  so 
much  of  hope  and  promise.  Their  early  home  was 
in  Clay  County  in  the  State  of  Missouri.  The  Rev. 
Robert  James,  the  father  of  these  boys,  came  from 

''  The  Old  Kentucky  Shore." 

He  was  a  minister,  of  no  small  renown,  of  the 
Baptist  denomination.  He  was  what  is  known  in 
that  body  as  a  thorough  -  going,  uncompromising 
close  Communist.  He  is  spoken  of  by  some  as  a 
sort  of  natural  genius,  who  by  native  good  sense 
managed  to  get  along  well  without  the  aid  of  many 
books  or  much  culture.  While  on  the  other  hand  he 
is  described  as  a  man  of  wide  culture  and  scholar- 
ship.  Whether  he  ever  graduated  at  Georgetown 
College  as  his  friends  aver,  is  hard  to  tell.  This  at 
least  is  certain.  He  was  a  man  of  firm  purpose  and 
indomitable  will.  He  knew  well  how  to  put  common 
qualities  to  their  best  possible  uses.  If  he  had  only 
little  mental  capital  i;>  stock  he  knew  how  to  make 
the  best  of  the  little  h  had.  He  was  a  man  of  de- 
cided and  pronounced  o»  mions.  Evidently  intended 
to  be  a  ruler  and  controller  of  men.  He  was  a  great 
favorite  with  his  own  Missouri  congregation,  and 
he  was  a  most  welcome  visitor  to  other  churches. 
But  he  was  most  of  all  in  demand  for  camp-meeting 
services.  There,  he  was  in  his  glory.  He  possessed 
that  indispensable  gift  —  necessary  for  effective 
eamp=meeting'  exhortation— the  gift  of  rugged,  hwru- 


20  2  he  Life  of  Frank  and  Jesse  James, 

ing,  persuasive  eloquence.  It  was  enough  for  him 
to  rise  in  any  audience,  however  vast,  to  command 
instant  attention.  In  those  old  days,  when  the  camp 
meeting  was  a  genuine  reality— and  not  an  organ- 
ized religious  show  made  to  pay,  such  as  camp  meet- 
ings are  in  these  degenerate  times— the  rocks  and  up- 
land glens  of  Kentucky  and  Missouri,  reverberated 
with  his  sonorous  voice  and  the  tossing  pines]  bore 
the  echoes  of  his  matchless  eloquence  far  into  the 
silent  night.  He  was  a  veritable  Boanerges,  a  son 
of  Thunder.  There  was  no  marked  gentleness  in  his 
manner,  whatever  there  may  have  been  of  tenderness 
in  his  heart.  He  was  a  man  of  all  but  irresistable 
force  as  an  exhorter.  Many  a  hardened  man,  unused 
to  the  melting  mood,  was  terrified  into  anxious 
thought,  by  the  stern  and  terrible  denunciations 
with  which  Mr.  James  sought  to  arouse  the  aban- 
doned. He  would  bid  them  ''flee  from  the  wrath  tc 
come,"  in  tones  of  thunder.  And  when  he  essayed, 
as  was  often  the  case,  a  description  of  what  the 
wrath  to  come  was — when  he  portrayed  the  fierce- 
ness of  the  fires,  the  quenchlessness  of  the  flamei: . 
the  agony  of  the  despairing,  the  torture  of  demons, 
the  moaning  and  wailing  and  gnashing  of  teeth — 
it  was  positively  awful !  He  seemed  to  be  for  the 
time  utterly  beside  himself.  He  seemed  as  one  who, 
if  he  had  not  himself  trod  the  rugged  pavement  of 
the  damned,  had  ventured  to  the  very  brink  of  per- 
dition, and  had  inhaled  the  smoke  of  their  torment 
which  goeth  up  forever  and  ever.  And  his  auditors 
were  of  ttimes  smitten  with  alarm  as  though  the  fires 


Tlie  James  Family.       .  21 

of  Gehenna  were  near  at  hand  to  devour  them. 
These  moods  of  wild  entreaty,  were  for  the  most 
part,  confined  to  the  camp  meeting.  In  the  ordinary 
discharge  of  his  pastoral  duties  he  was  most  gentle 
and  winning.  A  Aveird  prophet  of  the  hills  ;  his 
mouth  full  of  hard  sayings,  and  his  face  set  like 
brass  against  the  sins  of  his  age  ;  he  was  neverthe- 
less the  calmest  and  meekest  of  apostles  in  the  midst 
of  his  Missouri  flock.  And  though  a  whole  genera- 
tion has  passed  away,  since  he  found  a  grave  where 
the  tall  sequios  rear  their  lofty  branches  above  the 
plain  ;  he  is  still  remembered  with  deep  and  real 
gratitude  by  many  to  whom  his  kind  and  faithful 
ministrations  were  rendered  so  long  ago.  He  looked 
after  his  farm  and  guarded  and  shepherded  his  re- 
ligious flock  with  simple  fidelity.  He  may  be  said 
to  have  filled  not  unworthily  the  outline  of  Gold- 
smith's village  pastor. 

"  Thus  to  relieve  one  wretched  was  his  pride, 
And  e'en  his  faiHngs  leaned  to  virtue's  side; 
But  in  his  duty,  prompt  to  every  call 
He  watched  and  wept,  he  prayed  and  felt  for  all; 
And  as  a  bird  each  fond  endearment  tries 
To  tempt  its  new-fledged  offspring  to  the  skies 
He  tried  each  art.  reproved  each  dull  delay 
Allured  to  brighter  words  and  led  the  way." 

The  mother  of  these  boys  was  of  a  sterner  kind. 
Miss  Zerelda  Cole,  whom  the  Rev.  Mr.  James  mar- 
ried, when  quite  young,  was  never  overburdened 
with  gentleness  of  spirit.  Her  temper  and  bearing 
were  most  imperious.    Of  the  sweetness  and  amia- 


22  The  Life  of  Frank  and  Jesse  James. 

bility  which  we  always  associate  with  womanhood, 
she  seemed  to  be.  for  the  most  part,  devoid.  One 
glance  at  her  portrait  is  erough  to  convince  one  of 
the  iron  sternness  of  her  c  isposition,  a  large,  wide 
mouth  with  lips  compressed  in  awful  firmness,  and 
eyes  that  seem  to  be  homos  of  angry  fires  rather 
than  fountains  of  happy  smiles.  The  whole  coun- 
tenance is  most  forbidding.  Her  form  was  angular 
and  masculine.  A  tall,  gaunt  presence  to  inspire 
fear  rather  than  to  invite  confidence.  And  yet, 
while  she  had  no  superfious  sympathies  to  throw 
away,  she  gained  the  reputation  of  being  kind  and 
helpful  where  kindness  and  help  were  really  needed. 
She  had  no  sentimental  tears  to  shed,  but  she  had  a 
strong  hand  and  a  willing  mind  to  help  bear  the  real 
burdens  of  the  weak  and  sad.  So  if  Goldsmith's 
picture  will  serve  for  the  Eev.  "Robert  James,  Sir 
Walter  Scott's  fine  lines  will  not  be  inappropriate  for 
Mrs.  Zerelda  James : 

'*  O,  woman,  in  our  hours  of  ease, 
Uncertain,  coy,  and  hard  to  please; 
And  variable  as  the  shade 
By  the  light  quivering  aspen  made 
When  pain  and  anguish  ring  the  brow, 
A  ministering  angel  thoi' ." 


OHAPTEE    III. 

t/HILDHOOD  AND  YOUTH  OF  FRANK  AND  JESSE  JAMES. 

DEATH  OF  REV.  MR.    JAMES — THE  WIDOW'S    STRUGGLES 

—DR.    REUBEN    SAMUELS — THE  EARLY 

DEVELOPMENT  OF  THE  YOUNG 

GUERRILLAS. 

Frank  James  was  born  in  Scott  County,  Kentucky, 
in  184L  Jesse  was  borij  in  Clay  County,  Missouri, 
in  1845.  There  were  beside  these  two  boys,  two 
daughters.  The  elder  of  the  girls  just  reached  the 
threshhold  of  beautiful  womanhood  when,  to  the 
'^■egret  of  all  who  knew  her,  she  passed  away.  The 
remaining  daughter,  Susan,  went  to  live  in  Ne- 
braska, and  there  became  the  wife  of  Mr.  L.  Parmer. 
They  made  their  permanent  home  in  Sherman, 
Texas.  Frank  was  an  infant  in  arms  when  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  James  removed  from  Kentucky  to  Clay  County, 
Missouri;  so  that  all  the  young  life  of  these  embryo 
bandits  is  associated  with  the  Baptist  Parsonage  of 
New  Hope  Church.  One  would  hardly  have  ex- 
pected that  such  a  home  would  have  been  a  cradle 
for  such  relentless,  bloodthirsty  men.     But  it  is  hard 

(23) 


S4  llie  Life  of  Frank  and  Jesse  James. 

for  such  relentless,  bloodthirsty  men.  But  it  is  hard 
to  tell.  It  seems  sometimes  as  if  circumstances  had, 
after  all,  very  little  to  do  in  making  character.  They 
certainly  seem  to  be  less  potent  than  is  commonly 
believed.  It  is  presumable  that  even  Judas  said  his 
prayers  at  his  mother's  knee.  Certain  it  is,  that  he 
was  surrounded  with  the  most  sacred  influences  and 
advantages,  and  yet,  in  spite  of  all,  the  world  ac- 
cords him  his  place  as  the  arch-traitor  of  all  the 
ages.  The  fairest  flowers  are  often  found  on  the 
least  cultured  lands.  The  sons  of  ministers  of  the 
Gospel  have  often  proved  to  be  the  wildest  and  most 
unsteady  of  all  young  men.  As  the  auld  Scotch- 
wife  said  :  ''  The  worst  deils  o'  the  'parish  are  aye 
to  be  found  at  the  Manse."  And  for  this  there  must 
be  som.e  reason  ;  and  that  reason  is  generally  to  be 
found  in  the  fact  that  there  is  too  often  in  the  min- 
ister's house  a  lack  of  that  wholesome  restraint  that 
forms  such  an  indispensable  element  in  the  cultur,^ 
of  the  young.  It  is  the  old  story  ever  repeated,  Eli 
restrained  not  his  sons,  and  they  dishonored  their 
fathers  name  and  became  a  bye-word  and  a  shame 
in  Ancient  Israel. 

In  the  previous  chapter  the  characteristics  of  the 
parents  of  these  boys  were  portrayed.  The  father 
and  the  mother  of  these  boys  were  strongly  dissimi- 
lar in  their  mental  and  moral  temperaments.  Mr. 
James  was  a  man  who  had  less  force  of  character 
then  his  wife.  And  moreover  he  was  so  constantly 
absorbed  in  his  pastoral  duties,  that  he  left  the 
government    of    the    house,    if  it  could  be   called 


Childhood  and  Youth.  25 

government  at  all,  to  his  stronger-minded  spouse. 
He  saw  little  of  his  children,  and  had  very  little 
influence  upon  them.  They  were  very  young;  and 
in  the  earliest  years  of  life,  the  mothers  have  always 
the  mightiest  control  of  the  young  folks.  It  was 
especially  so  in  this  case.  The  mother  stamped  her 
impress  deep  and  legible  upon  her  sons. 

In  the  year  1850  an  important  event  transpired  in 
the  home  of  the  minister  of  Clay.  The  discovery  of 
the  gold  fields  of  California  had  spread  its  feverish 
excitement  far  and  wide.  Not  only  the  whole  of 
America,  but  Europe  became  largely  interested.  If 
the  Philosopher's  stone  was  not  found,  the  gold  was 
found,  and  that  was  better  still.  The  eyes  of  the  Old 
world  have  many  a  time  been  turned  longingly 
toward  the  new,  and  never  with  a  wilder  enthu- 
siasm than  in  the  year  1858.  Men  were  a  good  deal 
more  anxious  to  go  to  the  ''Diggings"  than  pious 
people  were  to  go  to  the  New  Jerusalem.  Califor- 
nia was  better  than  Jerusalem  new  or  old.  It  was 
the  true  Eldorado,  the  bright  land  of  gold,  and 
young  men,  and  men  who  had  passed  the  fullness 
and  strength  of  middle  life,  gave  up  home  and  quiet, 
and  tolerably  eas}^  circumstances,  charmed  by  the 
bewildering  dream,  that  they  might  suddenly 
become  rich,  and  spend  the  rest  of  their  lives  in 
affluence  and  ease.  But  as  Ireland's  sweet  minstrel 
the  poet  Moore  says: 

/       "  The  World  is  all  a  fleeing  show. 
To  man's  illusion  given." 

And  so  these  golden  promises  in  the  overwhelm- 


36  The  J^ifi'  t-f'  i'l'iiiiL-  it  till  Jt^sst  JantdS. 

lag  majority  of  iustances  chaiined  only  to  betray. 
There  were  many  of  tliese  adventurers  who  ''struck 
gold/'  But  the  greater  number  struck  bad  luck, 
disappointment  and  dispair.  Till  "Damn  the  Luck" 
became  the  common  phrase  on  almost  every  dig- 
ger's lips.  The  far  away  lands,  that  catch  the  first 
breezes  of  the  Pacific  have  become  the  sepulchre  of 
thousands  who  left  their  qviiet  homes  to  find  an 
untimely  grave,  instead  of  a  fortune.  The  tall  dark 
mountains  and  the  lofty  sequois  overshadow  the 
unknown  tombs  of  many  a  brave  and  valient  youth, 
and  serve  as  silent  mourners  of  the  unknown  and 
luckless  dead. 

In  this  year  1850,  the  Rev.  Mr.  James  caught  the 
eold-fever  and  determined  to  take  his  chances  with 
the  rest  wiio 

*'  Over  the  Mountains 

or  tiie  Moon, 
Dow  n  the  Valley  of  the  Shadow 

Ilode,  boldly  rode, 
In  search  of  El  Dorado." 
He  had  been  preceded  by  a  brother,  whose  rose  cob 
ored  descriptions  of  California  and  its  wealth  helped 
in  bringing  Mr.  James  to  a  decision  on  this  point. 
What  plans  he  formed  in  his  own  mind  is  not  known. 
He  probably  thought  that  his  absence  from  Missouri 
would  not  necessarily  be  long.  He  bade  his  Flock 
at  New  Hope  Church  farewell  and  stai-ted  out  on  a 
prospecting  tour.  From  this  tour  he  never  returned. 
He  was  stricken  by  some  mortal  disease.  Away 
from  home   and    kindred    he    died    untended    and 


Childhood  and  Youth.  37 

unwatched,  and  now  lies  in  an  unknown  grave, 
where  the  rays  of  the  setting  sun  leave  their  last 
faint  sad  smiles. 

Frank  was  nine  years  old  and  Jesse  barely  five, 
when  the  sad  tidings  of  the  father's  death  reached 
Clay  County.  The  tidings  were  sad  enough  for  the 
^vido^  ^  and  the  orphans,  but  after  all  it  was  no  doubt 
best  that  the  father  should  be  spared  the  sad  history 
of  his  sons.  Better  fa  r  that  he  should  be  cleeping; 
the  "long  sweet  sleep  that  knows  no  waking"  thaii 
live  to  see  his  sons  brought  to  such  dishonor. 

Mrs.  James  was  not  left  wholly  unprovided  for. 
She  had  to  struggle  pretty  hard  for  a  good  many 
years.  But  she  had  nothing  weak  or  sentimental 
in  her  xiature  and  struggling  suited  her  well.  The 
boys  spent  some  time  in  a  district  school.  But  the 
records  do  not  indicate  that  they  were  very  diligent 
or  very  successful  in  their  studies.  Years  passed  on, 
years  of  struggle  and  hard  work.  At  last  in  1857  Dr. 
-Reuben  Samuels  a  native  of  Kentucky  was  brave 
and  bold  enough  to  propose  for  the  hand  of  the 
Widow  James,  and  it  required  some  bravery  no 
doubt.  She  was  no  coy  blushing  maiden  to  be  wooed 
and  won  by  the  sweet  blandishments  of  love.  She 
was  a  widow  well  on  in  years.  A  woman  Avho  had 
been  accustomed  to  sway  the  scepter  of  power  at 
Clay  Farm;  and  if  Dr.  Samuels  meant  business  well 
and  good.  But  she  wanted  and  would  have  no  fool- 
ing. Probably  the  Doctor  had  known  her  in  the  old 
Kentucky  days,  and  knowing  her  disposition, 
ordered  himself  accordingly.  The  offer  was  accepted. 


28  7  he  Life  of  Frank  and  Jesse  James. 

And  they  then  were  married.  But  if  the  Doctor 
could  have  foreseen  what  perils  lay  before  him,  h« 
might  perchance  have  paused. 

The  boys,  Frank  and  Jesse,  were  now  beginning 
to  reveal  those  elements  of  character  that,  fully 
developed,  have  made  th^ir  names  at  once  the  curse 
and  shame  of  Missouri.  Of  the  milk  of  human 
kindness  they  had  none.  They  seem  to  have  drunk 
in  from  their  earliest  days  only  bitterness  and 
malice,  and  all  evil.  While  they  were  quite  young 
they  quarreled  and  fought  like  young  demons. 
They  hated  with  the  hatred  of  the  most  remorseless 
cruelty.  The  jocund  laughter  of  innocent  youth 
seldom  broke  from  their  lips;  but,  instead,  oaths 
and  curses,  and  bitter  threatens  mingled  with  gross 
profanity.  From  their  eyes  broke  no  kindly  beams, 
but  there  flashed  the  fires  of  ungovernable  hate. 
They  had  no  pleasant  playmates.  They  wanted 
none.  Their  whole  disposition  was  to  bully  and 
abuse  and  domineer;  and  sometimes  they  carried 
this  spirit  to  a  shameful  degree.  One  instance  will 
serve  as  an  illustration :  When  Frank  was  thirteen 
and  Jesse  barely  eleven,  one  of  the  boys  near  their 
farm,  himself  only  thirteen,  was  unfortunate  enough 
to  give  these  young  fiends  some  offence.  Thr 
brothers  waited  their  time  for  vengeance.  At  last 
it  came,  the  boys  met  in  a  large,  lonely  forest.  The 
boy  Smithers,  who  had  incurred  the  ill-will  of  the 
Jameses,  was  not  equal  to  do  battle  with  both  the 
brothers,  so  they  succeeded  in  administering  a  most 
merciless  castigation.  But  this  did  not  appease  their 


Childhood  and  Youth.  29 

anger.  It  was  the  spring-time,  and  the  streams  of 
Missouri  Avere  rich  and  full.  Frank  and  Jesse  pro- 
cured thongs  of  bark  and  tied  and  bound  the  hands 
of  young  Smithers  and  threw  him  a  dozen  times, 
bruised  and  bleeding  as  he  was,  into  a  deep  pond. 
He  begged  and  pleaded  that  they  would  desist.  But 
he  pleaded  in  vain.  The  more  he  suffered  the  more 
they  were  delighted.  At  last  growing  tired  of  this 
method  of  torment,  the  young  fiends,  after  extorting 
all  sorts  of  apologies  from  the  half-drowned  boy, 
finished  their  day's  sport  by  tying  him  hand  and 
foot  to  a  great  tree,  and  leaving  him  there  to  what- 
soever chances  fate  might  bring.  It  was  early 
morning  when  this  inhuman  scene  transpired.  It 
was  not  till  sundown  that  some  chance  passer-by 
released  poor  Smithers,  more  dead  than  alive  from 
his  painful  captivity.  The  poor  lad  was  thrown  into 
a  fever  from  which  he  did  not  recover  for  many 
weeks,  Thus  before  the  elder  of  these  boys  had 
well  got  into  his  teens,  the  cruel  murderous  spirit 
was  manifest. 

A  favorite  pastime  with  these  boys  was  to  tor- 
ture dumb  animals.  Cutting  off  the  ears  and  tails 
of  dogs  and  cats,  and  the  wings  of  birds,  was  a 
cherished  practice,  and  the  pitiful  cries  of  the  dumb 
suffering  things  was  a  sort  of  music  they  delighted 
in.  Everything  that  gave  pain  gave  them  pleasure. 
A  little  fellow  living  near  the  farm,  a  namesake  of 
the  elder  boy,  had  a  little  pet  dog,  a  rat-and-tan. 
called  Fan.  For  some  reason  or  other,  this  lad  had 
'nanaged  to  offend  the  young  tyrants,  and  so  to  get 


so  The  Life  of  Frank  and  Jesse  James, 

even  with  him  they  watched  for  the  little  dog  Fan-, 
and  at  last  securing  it  they  cut  off  its  tail,  clipped 
its  ears?,  then  hung  it  by  a  cord  to  the  branch  of  a 
tree,  while  they  dug  a  deep  hole;  after  which, 
despite  its  almost  human  looks  of  piteous  plead- 
ings, they  buried  the  dog  alive  I  and  afterward 
boasted  of  the  fun  I  Such  was  the  budding  promise 
of  the  boyhood  of  Frank  and  Jesse  James. 

While  they  were  quite  young,  their  step-father, 
Dr.  Samuels,  presented  each  of  them  with  a  small 
double-barrel  shot-gun  and  all  the  paraphernalia  of 
a  thoroughly  equipped  sportsman.  This  was  quite  an 
era  in  their  history,  and  now  they  began  a  ceaseless 
and  unwearied  gun  practice.  They  were  soon  very 
efficient  and  successful  sportsmen,  and  neither  bird, 
nor  rabbit,  nor  squirrel  escaped  their  guns.  Guns 
soon  gave  way  to  pistols.  The  boys  had  heard  of 
the  wild  adventurers  of  the  Borders;  of  their  won- 
derful skill  in  the  use  of  those  deadly  weapons;  and 
so  by  careful  saving  they  were  soon  able  to  gratify 
their  ambition  and  became  each  of  them  possessed 
of  a  pistol.  They  practiced  in  dead-earnest  from 
early  daylight,  and  very  soon  they  became  masters 
of  the  art  of  pistol  shooting;  and  their  awful  success 
in  their  many  bloody  frays  i'n  after  years  was 
largel}^  owing  to  their  persevering  practice  in  their 
young  days.  So  thoroughly  efficient  had  they 
become,  so  precise  and  accurate  their  aim,  that 
they  would  measure  a  distance  of  fifteen  paces  from 
a  tree  standing  in  an  open  space,  and  commence 
walking    around   it,    firing,    what  to   an   on-looker 


Cliildliood  mid    VuHtk.  31 

would  appear  to  be  only  raudoin  shots.  But  every 
shot  would  tell,  and  by  and  bye  the  tree  would  be 
completely  riddled  round  with  a  ring  of  pistol  shots. 
They  went  from  achievement  to  achievement,  with 
perseverance  worthy  of  a  much  nobler  cause.  Not 
satisfied  with  being  good  shots  as  they  stood  or 
walked,  they  began  to  practice  on  horse-back;  and 
before  very  long  they  were  able,  riding  at  full 
gallop  around  a  circle  with  a  tree  in  the  centre,  at 
a  distance  of  seventy-five  paces  to  completely  girdle 
the  tree  with  revolver  bullets,  never  missing  a 
single  shot.  This  strange  wild  apprenticeship  thor- 
oughly fitted  these  ill-starred  youths  for  the  dark 
destiny  that  awaited  them,  and  made  them  most 
dangerous  foes  to  all  who  crossed  their  path  or 
thwarted  their  dread  purposes* 


CHAPTEE    lY. 

QUANTRELL'S  CAMP. 

THE   WAND   OF  CIRCUMSTANCES — QUANTRELL'S    EARLY 
DAYS — THE  BLOOD-THIRSTY   JAY-HAWKERS— MUR- 
DER   AND     PLUNDER — DAYS    AND   .NIGHTS    OP 
TERROR— FIGHTING   THE   WOLVES   BY   THE 
FESTERING  DEAD — WHAT  MADE  QUAN- 
TRELL  THE   INTREPID   GUERRILLA 
CHIEF. 

Charles  William  Quantrell  was  without  a  doubt 
the  greatest  of  all  the  cheif  tains  of  those  wild  lawless 
bands  who  afflicted  the  borders  of  Kansas  and  Mis- 
souri for  so  many  years.  No  King  was  ever  more 
absolute  with  his  subjects,  than  Quantrell  v/as  Avith 
his  guerrilla  followers.  As  to  his  personal  authority 
and  influence  there  are  not  two  opinions.  His  word 
was  law.  His  will  was  obeyed  without  a  question. 
Whenever  the  Black  Flag  of  Quantrell  was  reared, 
it  meant  death  and  doom  without  parley  or  com- 
promise. As  to  Quantrell  himself  opinions  were 
strangely  divided.  He  has  been  described  by  some 
as  "a  highway  robber  crossed  upon  a  tiger;"  while 
others  have  spoken  of  him  as  ^'as  a  gallant  defender 
of  his  native  South."     It  is  the  fortune,  or  misfor- 


QuantrelV s  Camp.  32 

tune  of  men  of  more  than  common  power  to  awake 
conflicting'  estimates  of  their  cliaracter.  The  same 
man,  wlio  is  in  the  eyes  of  his  friends  and  followers, 
a  heaven-born  champion  of  the  right;  is  to  his  foes 
an  unscrupulous  usurper  and  fanatic. 

QuantrelFs  was  a  strange  career.  Was  he  an 
Avenging  Nemesis  of  the  Right?  Or  a  monster  of 
murder's  foul  brood?  It  is  not  too  much  to  say  that 
circumstances; — or  rather  it  should  be  said  one  bale- 
ful set  of  circumstances — helped  to  make  liim  what 
he  became.  His  career  as  a  leader  of  banditti  was 
unthought  of,  undreamed  of;  and  all  the  training  of 
his  young  days  seemed  to  point  in  the  direction  of  a 
peaceful  life. 

But  the  wand  of  circumstance,  or  fate,  call  it 
which  you  will,  swept  over  him,  and  in  one  awful 
night,  the  peaceful  unoffending  youth  became  a 
living  vengeance,  an  incarnate  terror! 

Quantrell  was  born  in  Hayerstown,  Maryland,  on 
the  20th  July  183G.  He  was  very  early  bereft  of  a  fath- 
er's care,  but  from  his  young  days  onward  he  was  a 
gentle  and  obedient  son  to  his  widowed  mother. 
About  sixteen  years  of  age  he  went  to  reside  at 
Cleveland,  Ohio,  in  order  that  he  might  enjoy  the 
advantages  of  a  liberal  education.  Here  he  stayed 
for  some  years,  little  dreaming  of  the  future  that 
awaited  him.  He  had  a  brother  much  older  than 
himself  living  in  Kansas  City.  Tliis  elder  brother 
urged  Charles  William  to  leave  Ohio  and  settle  down 
in  Kansas,  this  was  agreed  upon,  but  before  settling 
down  to  the  business  of  life,  it  was  resolved  that  the}^ 


34  The.  Life  of  Frank  and  Jesse  James 

should  take  a  journey  together  to  California.  This 
was  in  the  year  1850.  They  planned  to  go  by  wag- 
ons;, they  had  with  them  one  negro,  to  cook  and 
y3itch  their  tent  and  serve  them  generally.  There 
were  at  this  time  blood-thirsty  bands  of  men, known 
as  Lane's  Jay -hawkers,  who  under  the  name  of 
Abolitionists  desiring  freedom  in  Kansas,  v/ent  up 
and  d^wn  murdering  and  plundenng  in  the  most 
atrociou..  and  cold-blooded  way. 

The  brothers  Quantrell  were  en  route  for  Calif orria 
"The  bright  land  of  Gold"  as  the  gold  seekers  fondly 
called  it.  One  night  they  had  pitched  their  tent  on 
the  banks  of  the  Cottonwood  River.  It  was  one  of 
those  early  summer  evenings  when  nature  seems  to 
wear  her  richest  robes  of  beauty,  the  setting  sun 
shot  parting  beams  of  golden  glory  on  river,  ai^d 
hill  and  vale.  The  evening  meal  was  over,  and  the 
brothers  were  sitting  on  the  river  bank  talking 
quietly  of  other  days,  and  canvassing  future  pros- 
pects. Sambo  was  busy  fixing  the  tent  for  the 
night.  All  was  peace  and  quiet,  when  suddenly  a 
Dand  of  thirty  of  these  Kansas  Jay-hawkersbroke  in 
on  the  unsuspecting  encampment.  The  sharj)  crack 
of  the  pistols  was  the  first  sound  that  broke  the 
silence.  The  work  was  quick  and  effective.  The 
elder  brother  was  shot  dead  on  the  river-bank. 
Charles  William  was  riddled  with  bullets  and  left 
tor  dead.  Plunder  followed  murder.  Vv'atchee, 
rmgs  everything  that  was  valuable  was  taken  from 
the  dead,  and  as  they  thought  dying  man.  Tl»e 
negro   was   ordered  to   gather  Up  all   the  supplies. 


QuantrelVs  Camp.  3d 

The  tent  was  placed  upon  its  waggon,  negro  and 
wagons  and  horses  were  then  driven  off  and  Quant- 
rell  heard  of  them  no  more. 

Wounded  and  bleeding  the  younger  Quantrell  la}^ 
unconscious  till  the  morning.  The  bleeding  ceased 
but  an  awful  fever  set  in.  And  in  this  fever  he 
raged  and  raved.  By  the  second  night  he  became 
somewhat  conscious,  and  as  he  heard  the  flapping 
of  buzzard's  wings,  and  not  far  awa.y  the  ominous 
howling  of  hungry  wolves;  he  crawled  to  where  his 
dead  brother  lay,  and  all  that  awful  night,  and  all 
next  day  kept  sacred  vigil  by  the  dead  and  f ougkt 
aw^ay  the  birds  of  prey  and  the  angry  wolves.  Faint 
and  sore,  and  weak  from  loss  of  blood;  he  rolled 
himself  down  to  the  river's  brink  to  quench  his  thirst. 
But  he  did  not  wish  to  die.  He  was  resolved  to  live! 
To  live  to  be  avenged! 

On  the  morning  of  the  third  day  after  the  Jay- 
hawkers'  raid  an  old  Shawnee  Indian,  Golightly 
Spieback  chanced  tp  pass  by.  and  his  kind  old  heart 
warmed  to  the  suffering  lad.  He  staunched  his 
wounds,  he  dug  a  grave  and  helped  to  bury  the 
murdered  brother.  There  was  no  coffin  or  shroud, 
nor  priest  nor  passing  bell.  When  the  rude  funeral 
w^as  ended  the  grand  old  Shawnee  invited  the  cheif 
mourner  of  that  sad  scene  to  a  place  in  his  wagon, 
and  promised  to  drive  him  by  easy  stages  to  his 
Indian  home.  Charles  William  Quantrell  accepted 
Spieback's  kindness.  But  before  he  left  that  spot 
"  by  horror  haunted,  "  he  fell  upon  his  knees  by  the 
grave-side  of  him,  who  had  been  more  like  a  fathe? 


36  'ike  Life  of  Frank  and  Jesse  James, 

than  a  brother  through  all  the  years  of  his  orphan- 
age, and  swore  eternal  vengance  against  all  the 
Jay  hawking  tribe ! 

Call  that  scene  by  the  Cottonwood  River  the  wand 
of  circumstance,  or  of  fate,  or  the  Avand  of  ''  murder 
most  foul; "  waving  over  the  head  of  young  Quant- 
rell,  it  marked  out  his  destiny  and  made  him  bitter, 
relentless,  witheut  mercy  whenever  the  name  of  a 
Jayhawker  was  breathed. 

Years  passed  by  and  the  warfare  of  the  Border 
grew  more  and  more  furious.  Quantrell  gathered 
round  him  such  men  as  Todd  and  Scott,  Anderson 
and  Blant,  Yager  and  Hulse  and  Gregg,  the  Younger 
Brothers — and  the  heroes  of  these  pages,  Frank  and 
Jesse  James.  He  became  cliief  of  the  chiefs.  The 
master  spirit  of  the  guerrilla's  ot  Missouri.  Many  a 
young  Missourian  flushed  with  a  wild  ambition, 
longed  for  the  honor  of  a  place  in  Quantrell's  camp, 
and  craved  for  themselves  no  greater  joy  than  the 
free  wild  life  of  those  who  followed  QuantrelFa 
Black  Banner  of  Death. 


li'4^,f|    I   jiLl^   MM 


OHAPTEE   V. 

FRANK  JAMES  FOLLOWS  QUANTRELL. 

THE  SAMUELS'  STRONG  FOR  THE  SOUTH — MRS.  SAMUELS 

HATES  THE   BOYS  IN  BLUE  —  BRUTAL  OUTRAGE   AT 

THE     SAMUELS'     HOMESTEAD — DR.      SAMUELS 

LEFT  FOR    DEAD — MRS.  SAMUELS  TO  THE 

RESCUE  —  JESSE    TORMENTED — THE 

FEDERALS  MAKE  A  SECOND  RAID 

— MRS.  SAMUELS  AND   SUSIE 

IN  JAIL — JESSE  BECOMES 

A    GUERRILLA. 

The  wild  exploits  of  Quantrell's  lawless  band  fell 
like  a  charm  on  the  spirit  of  young  Frank  James. 
Probably  the  stories  he  heard  were  greatly  exagger- 
ated. But  the  free  reckless  life,  the  daring  and  the 
danger,  the  romance  of  the  da3%  and  the  stories  by 
the  camp-fire  at  night,  the  companionship  of  defiant 
spirits  who  could  be  merry  in  the  midst  of  peril,  and 
laugh  in  tlie  very  face  of  death;  all  these  things, 
seen  with  the  eager  eyes  of  romantic  youth,  served 
to  complete  the  enchantment.  And  Frank,  tired  of 
the  monotony  of  the  farm  and  the  uneventful  life 
he  led,  resolved  to  cast  in  his  lot  with  these  wild 


38  The  Life  of  Frank  and  Jesse  James, 

bandits  of  western  Missouri.  No  dream  of  wealth 
or  honor  hired  him  on.  It  was  just  the  spirit  of 
wild  adventure  that  possessed  him.  And  so  in  the 
twilight  gloaming  of  an  evening  in  the  early  spring 
of  1862,  Frank,  well  armed,  saddled  his  horse  and 
bade  farewell  forever  to  the  peaceful  pursuits  of  life, 
to  become  a  robber  and  a  murderer ! 

It  should  not  be  overlooked,  however,  that  these 
guerrillas  were  not  regarded  universally  as  of  the 
robber  brood,  exclusively.  They  were  not  only  tol- 
erated in  many  of  their  awful  raids,  but  actually 
encouraged  by  many  strong  partizans,  as  avengers 
of  brutal  and  unprovoked  wrongs.  Robin  Hood 
of  old  renown  —  the  lawless  master  of  Sherwood 
forest — was  not  regarded  as  such  a  dreadful  moral 
delinquent,  when  he  nobbed  fat,  wealthy  Monks  and 
Abbots,  and  ramsacked  Abbey  and  Cloister  to  feed 
the  starving  poor.  And  when  these  wild  followers 
of  Quantrell  brought  swift  vengeance  home  to  a 
group  of  Federal  militia-men,  or  a  band  of  Kansas 
Jayhawkers,  they  were  openly  applauded. 

The  Samuels  family  were  very  strongly  Southern 
in  their  sympathies.  Both  the  Doctor  and  his  wife 
had  brought  from  their  native  Kentucky  uncompro- 
mising attachment  to  Southern  institutions.  Their 
hearts  were  thoroughly  in  the  movement  for  seces- 
sion. And  as  we  have  already  seen,  Mrs.  Samuels 
was  thorough  in  all  things ;  and  in  this  matter  she 
took  a  firm  and  definite  stand.  She  could  not  be 
called  a  politician.  -  But  she  could  act  like  one.  She 
hated  the  Northern  cause.     She  hated  the  sight  of 


Frank  James  Folloivs  Qiiantrell,  8S 

the  Boys  in  Blue.  And  not  being  disposed  ever  to 
hide  her  light  under  a  bushel,  it  soon  l)ecame  pretty 
\tidelY  known,  that  if  she  could  aid  in  the  discom- 
forture  of  the  Federal  soldiers,  slie  would  not  scru- 
ple much  as  to  the  means  to  attain  such  an  end. 
Indeed  there  is  no  doubt  that  she  was  often  secretly 
at  work.  Quantrell  could  count  upon  her  help,  and 
never  once  found  her  information  to  be  misleading. 
She  would  find  out  —  by  what  means  it  would  be 
hard  to  tell — the  movement  and  plans  of  the  Federal 
troops,  and  then  Jesse  in  the  darkness  of  the  night, 
would  mount  his  swiftest  horse  and  ride  through 
the  gloomy  wilderness  of  western  Missouri  and 
never  halt  till  he  had  delivered  all  his  important 
tidings  to  the  guerrilla  chief.  Her  house  had  often 
been  the  scene  of  secret  midnight  conferences. 

The  Federal  militia  men  suspected  that  the  Samuels 
were  their  secret  foes,  and  after  a  long  period  of  non- 
interference they  came  down  upon  the  Kearney  farm 
and  committed  one  of  those  brutal  outrages  which 
very  nearly  cost  Dr.  Samuels  his  life. 

It  was  in  the  month  of  June,  1862,  a  very  short 
time  after  Frank's  departure,  a  company  of  Mis- 
souri militia  presented  themselves  at  the  farm  near 
Kearney,  in  Clay  County.  They  were  resolved  to 
make  an  example  of  the  whole  family.  They  first 
of  all  met  Dr.  Samuels,  whom  they  addressed  in 
language  that  could  leave  no  doubt  in  his  mind  that 
they  meant  to  carry  affairs  to  the  bitter  end.  It 
was  in  vain  he  pleaded  that  he  was  leading  a  pea^.e- 
ful  farmer's  life/  ^nd  didn't  desire  to  be  mixed  up  \n 


40  Tlie  Life  of  Frajik  and  Jesse  James. 

the  strife  of,  the  time.  They  told  him  —  what  he 
knew  much  better  than  they  did — that  he  and  his 
whole  family  were  in  secret  alliance  with  Quantrell 
and  his  followers.  Frank  was  at  the  camp,  Susie 
was  away  from  home,  Jesse  was  ploughing  In  the 
fields.  Mrs.  Samuels  was  nowhere  to  be  seen.  But 
she  saw  all  that  was  going  on.  all  the  same. 

They  had  not  come  unprepared  for  their  work. 
They  produced  a  strong,  stout  rope  with  which  they 
securely  pinioned  the  unresisting  Dr.  Samuels.  Amid 
jeers  and  ril^ald  jests  they  hurried  him  into  a  wood 
within  sight  of  his  home.  After  further  insult,  they 
fastened  a  rope  into  a  noose  round  his  neck,  then 
throwing  the  other  end  of  the  rope  over  the  limb  of 
a  tree,  they  drew  him  up  hastily  and  with  farewell 
curses  left  him  to  choke  to  death.  They  then  went 
in  quest  of  Jesse  whom  they  intended  to  treat  in  a 
similar  manner.  Meantime  Mrs.  Samuels  who  had 
been  an  unseen  witness  of  the  hanging  of  her  hus- 
band, came  to  the  rescue,  and  with  almost  super- 
human strength,  climbed  the  tree  and  managed  to 
cut  him  down,  then  carried"  him,  more  dead  than 
alive,  back  to  the  house.  And  by  long  and  patient 
nursing  managed  to  save  his  life. 

Meantime  these  gallant  warriors  went  in  search 
of  Jesse.  Here  was  a  boy  of  barely  sixteen  years 
of  age,  on  whom  the  men  who  bore  the  name  of 
soldiers,  were  about  to  wreck  their  vengeance.  They 
charged  him  with  being  a  medium  of  communica- 
tion with  Quantrell.  They  put  a  rope  round  his  neck 
and  told  him  that  his  hour  had  come.  If  they  thought 


Frank  James  FoUoics  Quantrell.  41 

by  these  means  to  intimidate  him  they  were  gravely 
mistaken,  for  Jesse  turned  upon  them  a  look  of 
stolid  and  scornful  indifference.  His  youth  and 
manifest  courage  had  some  influence  with  his  tor- 
m enters,  so  after  further  abuse  and  after  pricking 
him  freely,  they  gave  utterance  to  the  most  awful 
threats  with  their  swords,  garnished  with  sundry 
oaths,  as  to  what  they  would  do  if  he  ever  dared  to 
ride  to  Quantrell's  camp  again  with  any  message 
good,  bad,  or  indifferent.  Supposing  that  they  had 
made  a  full  end  of  Dr.  Samuels,  and  being  pretty 
well  satisfied  with  their  day's  diversions,  they  de- 
parted leaving  Jesse  to  follow  his  plow. 

Not  long  after,  hearing  that  Dr.  Samuels  was  still 
alive  and  that  Jesse  was  still  taking  his  midnight 
rides,  a  second  raid  was  effected,  and  it  was  deter- 
mined that  this  time  both  Dr.  Samuels  and  Jesse 
must  die.  But  the  birds  had  flown  !  Neither  the 
Doctor,  nor  Jesse  could  be  found.  Mrs.  Samuels  and 
her  daughter  Susie  were  at  home.  But  they  refused 
point  blank  to  give  any  infbrmation.  The  soldiers 
threatened,  but  did  not  alarm  the  women.  And 
especially  from  Mrs.  Samuels,  who  was  a  magnif- 
icent hater,  the  soldiers  got  as  good  as  they  gave. 
Greatly  enraged  at  being  baulked  of  their  chief 
prey,  they  arrested  Mrs.  and  Miss  Samuels  and  took 
them  to  the  jail  at  St.  Josephs.  Here  they  were 
kept  for  weeks  in  a  place  reeking  with  filth  and  ver- 
min. And  they  were  subjected  to  all  sorts  of  course 
brutal  jests  and  obscene  conversation  from  tlieir 
vulgar-minded  guards.     But  Mrs.  SamueFs  indom- 


42  The  Life  of  Frank  and  Jesse  James, 

itable  spirit  did  not  forsake  her.     And  what  they 
uttered  in  insult,  she  answered  back  in  scorn. 

Tliis  last  outrage  filled  Jesse's  cup  of  determina- 
tion to  the  brim.  All  his  ambition  w  as,  to  march  to 
the  music  of  guerrilla  warfare.  It  is  said  that  he 
had  already  begged  to  be  admitted  to  QuandrelFs 
wild  confederacy,  but  had  been  refused  on  account 
of  his  youth.  Now  he  was  resolved.  The  attempted 
murder  of  his  step-father,  the  imprisonment  of  his 
mother  and  sister  in  a  miserable,  loathsome  dungeon 
was  more  than  enough,  to  say  nothing  of  the  threats 
and  insult  that  had  been  offered  to  himself.  So 
without  delay  Jesse  saddled  his  horse  and  turning 
his  back  upon  a  home  that  had  grown  intolerable, 
and  now  had  become  unsafe,  he  followed  the  wake  of 
his  brother  Frank.  He  was  barely  sixteen,  with  a 
smooth,  handsome  face,  deep  blue  eyes  and  a  com- 
plexion as  soft  and  delicate  as  a  girl's.  There  seemed 
to  be  in  him  no  material  out  of  which  to  make  a 
bandit  and  a  murderer.  Biit  the  die  was  cast.  The 
fashion  of  his  life  was  set.  The  brothers  were  to- 
gether now,  following  the  same  bannei%  marching 
in  the  same  bloody  path.  Destined  to  be  for  many 
a  long  year  twin  wraiths  of  slaughter. 


CHAPTER    VI. 

THE  TERRIBLE  (lUERRILLA  OATH. 

QUANTRELL'S   sagacity — SYSTEM    AND   ORDER   IN  THE 
CAMP — THE  DREADFUL  OATH. 

If  the  sagacity  and  energy,  the  strong  common 
sense  and  indomitable  perseverence  of  Quantrell  had 
been  devoted  to  some  worthy  object  in  life,  they 
would  have  secured  for  him  an  honorable  place  in 
society.  He  was  a  man  of  great  foresight,  and  very 
soon  discovered  that  if  there  was  an  absence  of  sys- 
tem and  order  and  discipline  amongst  his  followers; 
his  band,  instead  of  being  compact  like  the  Phalanx 
of  Ancient  Greece,  would  very  soon  become  a  rope 
of  sand.  The  secret  of  success  is  having  leaders  who 
can  lead,  and  followers  who  will  follow.  For  lack 
of  this  many  causes,  good  and  bad,  have  been  de- 
feated. Quantrell  could  lead,  and  he  would  be  fol- 
lowed. Wild  and  lawless  as  were  these  terrible 
robber-bands,  they  were  loyal  and  obedient  to  the 
law  that  ruled  the  camp.  The  terrible  black  ban- 
ner, made  and  presented  by  Annie  Fickle,  and  borne 
by  Jim  Little  through  so  many  daring  escapades, 
was  the  in  hoc  signo  of  their  dread  warfare.     But 

(43) 


j#$  TJie  Life  of  Frank  and  Jesse  James. 

terrible  as  was  the  sign  and  dark  as  were  its  folds, 
it  was  but  a  feeble  sign  compared  with  the  terrific 
character  of  the  oath  by  which  each  candidate  for 
guerrilla  warfare  bound  himself.  If  oaths  could  bind, 
surely  this  oath  of  Quantrell's  was  binding.  It  was 
a  pledge  and  declaration  of  purposes  so  dire  and 
dreadful,  that  one's  blood  chills  at  the  reading  of  it; 
and  the  men  who  voluntarily  made  it  amid  awful 
surroundings  needed  to  be  men  of  determined  de- 
pravity 

It  was  never  administered  except  when  the  light 
of  day  had  faded  and  the  black  pall  of  night  had 
fallen  on  Nature's  fair  scenes,  then  this  oath  was  to 
be  made,  and  made  in  the  presence  of  witnesses  who 
were  armed  to  the  teeth;  and  in  order  that  it  may 
be  clearly  understood  what  manner  of  men  these 
guerrillas  undertook  to  be,  the  grimoath,  of  which 
Quantrell  was  the  author,  is  inserted  here.  The  can- 
didate for  lawless  perils  and  distinctions,  having 
expressed  his  ambition  to  join  the  ranks  of  the 
dreaded  Quantrell,  was  made  to  swear  this  oath  be- 
neath the  darkened  heavens  and  in  the  solemn 
silence  of  the  night : 

"In  the  name  of  God  and  Devil,  the  one  to  punish  and  the 
other  to  reward,  and  by  the  powers  of  light  and  darkness,  good 
and  evil,  here,  under  the  black  arch  of  heaven's  avenging  sym- 
bol, I  pledge  and  consecrate  my  heart,  my  brain,  my  body,  and 
my  limbs,  and  swear  by  all  the  powers  of  hell  and  heaven  to  de- 
vote my  life  to  obedience  to  my  superiors;  that  no  danger  or  peril 
shall  deter  me  from  executing  their  orders;  that  I  will  exert  every 
possible  means  in  my  power  for  the  extermination  of  Federals, 
Jay  hawkers,  and  their  abettors;  that  in  fighting  those  whose  ser- 


The  Terrible    Guerrilla  Oath,  45 

pent  trail  has  winnowed  the  fair  fields  and  possessions  of  our 
allies  and  sympathizers,  I  will  show  no  mercy,  but  strike,  with  an 
nvei\;?ing  arm,  so  long  as  breath  remains. 

•*  I  further  pledge  my  Jieart,  my  brain,  my  body,  and  my  limbs, 
nover  to  betray  a  comrade;  tlia.t  [will  submit  to  all  the  tortures 
cunning  mankind  can  inflict,  and  suffer  the  most  horrible  death, 
rathcn-  than  reveal  a  single  secret  of  this  organization,  or  a  single 
word  of  this,  my  oath. 

"I  further  pledge  my  lii^art,  my  brain,  my  body,  and  my  limbs, 
never  to  forsake  a  comrade  when  there  is  hope,  even  at  the  risk  of 
great  peril,  of  saving  him  from  falling  into  the  hands  of  our 
enemies;  that  I  will  sustain  Quantrell's  guerrillas  with  my  might 
and  defend  them  with  my  blood,  and,  if  need  be,  die  with  them  ; 
in  every  extremity  I  will  never  withhold  my  aid,  nor  abandon  the 
cause  with  which  I  now^  cast  my  fortunes,  my  honor  and  my  life. 
Before  violating  a  single  clause  or  implied  pledge  of  this  obliga- 
tion, I  will  pray  to  an  avenging  God  and  an  unmerciful  devil  to 
tear  out  my  heart  and  roast  it  over  the  flames  of  sulphur  :  that  mj 
head  may  be  split  open  and  my  brains  scattered  over  the  earth  ; 
that  my  body  may  be  ripped  up  and  my  bowels  torn  out  and  fed 
to  carrion  birds ;  that  each  of  my  limbs  ma}'  be  broken  with 
stones,  and  then  cut  off.  by  inches,  that  they  may  feed  the  foul- 
est birds  of  the  air;  and  lastly,  may  my  soul  be  given  unto  tor- 
ment, that  it  may  be  submerged  in  melted  metal  and  be  stifled  by 
the  fumes  of  hell,  and  may  this  punishment  be  meted  out  to  me 
through  all  eternity,  in  the  name  of  God  and  devil.     Amen." 

At  the  conclusion  of  the  oath,  tlie  candidate  was 
turned  successively  to  the  east,  west,  north  and 
south,  while  four  men,  clothed  in  red  and  black  suits, 
and  wearing  hideous  masks,  representing  the  devil, 
drew  their  long,  keen  swords  and  presented  them  at 
the  newly-made  guerrilla,  one  pointing  at  his  heart, 
another  at  the  head,  another  at  the  abdomen  and  the 
other  shifting  his  weapon  from  the  arms  and  feet. 

Bound  by  such  an  oath  and  installed  by  such  a 


46  The  Life  of  Frank  and  Jesse  James. 

strange,  weird  ceremony,  rank  and  Jesse  James 
set  forth  on  a  career  that  turned  out  as  dark  and 
dreadful  as  the  oath  was  terrific. 


CHAPTER  YII. 

OPENING    FIRE. 

RICHFIELD     AND     PLATTSBURG — FIENDS      IN    WESTERN 

MISSOURI — RAID    ON    RICHFIELD — FRANK    JAMES  A 

SCOUT— MOONLIGHT     INTERVIEW     WITH     MRS. 

SAMUELS — PLATTSBURG      CAPTURED— THE 

SPOILS    OF   WAR. 

To  some  extent  at  least  it  must  be  conceded  that 
Frank  and  Jesse  James  were  the  product  of  their 
times.  The  fierce  passions  roused  by  the  dreadful 
conflict  between  North  and  South,  were  sowing 
seeds  of  bitterness  and  strife  amongst  those  who  had 
been  for  many  long  years  firm,  fast  friends.  Sides 
were  taken  by  the  elders,  and  the  young  people  soon 
followed  the  example,  and  these  two  brothers  trained 
and  nurtured  by  one  whose  strongest  s^anpathies, 
as  we-  have  seen  were  for  the  Southern  cause,  a 
woman  of  strong  controlling  power,  who  left  the 
impress  of  her  character  on  all  with  whom  she  came 
in  contact,  influenced  largely  the  future  of  her  sons. 

In  these  days  it  was  all  but  impossible  to  occupy  a 
neutral  position.     You  must  either  be  for  the  sunny 

(47) 


48  The  Life  of  Frank  and  Jesse  James. 

South,  or  for  the  ''Blood-thirsty  over-reaching 
North,"  as  Mrs.  Samuels  would  have  mildly 
expressed  herself.  Throughout  the  wliolc  of  the 
Counties  of  Platte,  Clinton  and  Clay,  tlie  feeling 
was  most  intense.  At  last  two-thirds  of  th(^  people 
favored  the  Southern  cause,  and  hated  witli  a  per- 
fect hatred  the  sight  of  a  Federal  soldier  in  his  uni- 
form of  hlue.  This  feud  spread  fai'and  wide.  Old- 
time  friends  became  implacable  foes.  Men  who  had 
ever^^thing  in  common,  save  tliis  one  question, 
were  at  daggers  draAvn.  Father  against  son,  brother 
against  brother,  friend  against  friend.  Even  the 
women  entered  into  the  controversy  with  most 
characteristic  zeal,  and  instead  of  discussing  domes- 
tic affairs,  or  wasting  their  breath  on  the  frivolities 
that  are  supposed  to  form  the  staple  of  the  talk  of 
their  sex,  they  became  fierce  politicians  and  talked 
long  and  loud,  and  like  Desdemona  wished  that 
Heaven  had  made  them  men  that  the}'  might  go  and 
tight.  Of  social  intercourse  there  was  none  except 
amongst  fierce  partisans.  Business  was  harrasscl, 
church  life  was  stagnant  and  well  nigh  dead.  The 
whole  framework  of  society  was  shaken  to  its  foun- 
d  actions. 

Frank  and  Jesse  James,  in  many  things  most  dis- 
similar, were  one  at  least  in  lM)ldness  a))d  intrepi<l 
daring.  They  were  l>oth  with  QuantrelTs  ba,ii<l  full- 
pledged  guerrillas.  But  they  had  not  joined  this 
band  to  be  idle  and  content  themselves  with  listen- 
ing to  stories  of  valorous  deeds.  They  were  anxious 
for  the  fray;  and  right  glad  were  they  when  they 


Opening  Fire,  49 

were  summoned  by  their  leader  to  serious  action. 

Tlie  town  of  Richfield  on  the  northern  side  of  the 
Missouri  river  was  garrisoned  by  Federal  soldiers. 
The  company  was  but  small,  comprising  only  thirty 
militiamen,  commanded  by  Captain  Sessions.  Quan- 
trell  detailed  twelve  of  his  followers  under  the  lead- 
ership of  Captain  Scott  to  make  a  raid  on  the  garri- 
son of  Richfield.  Frank  and  Jesse  James  were  of 
the  aiumber;  Frank  leading  the  attacking  party. 
There  was  a  desperate  fight.  But  the  guerrillas 
were  celebrated  for  their  unerring  aim,  and  at  the 
first  volley  from  the  guns  of  the  outlaws,  Captain 
Sessions  and  Lieut.  Graff enstein  fell  dead.  Ten  of 
the  militiamen  were  killed,  but  Scott  did  not  lose  a 
man,  nor  was  one  of  them  wounded.  This  raid  was 
a  complete  victory  for  the  guerrillas.  The  garrison 
was  surrendered  to  Captain  Scott  and  the  survivors 
were  paroled. 

This  fray  was  practically  the  throwing  down  of 
the  gage  of  battle  to  the  Federal  troops  located  in 
western  Missouri,  and  the  im_mediate  result  was  of 
course  that  the  Federals  began  to  mass  themselves 
for  defence.  But  they  did  not  understand  the 
importance  of  keeping  their  plans  profoundly  secret, 
or  there  were  some  uncommonly  active  spies  in  their 
camp. 

After  the  Richfield  fight,  which  took  place  in  the 
morning,  Scott  moved  away  into  Clay  County,  but 
Frank  James  was  appointed  as  a  Scout.  He  rode 
through  the  thick  darkness  of  that  night,  many  a 
weary  mile,  until  at  last  in  the  early  hours  of  the 


50  The  Life  of  Fmnh  and  Jesse  James. 

morning,  just  as  the  moon  broke  through  the  gloomy 
clouds,  he  reached  the  home  of  his  mother.  That 
indomitable  woman  welcomed  her  son,  but  not  with 
the  hope  that  he  would  return  to  the  peaceful  pur- 
suits of  life.  She  was  proud  of  her  fearless  boy;  and 
now  she  had  important  tidings  that  must  be  borne  at 
once  to  Captain  Scott,  or  sent  to  QuantrelFs  quar- 
ters. The  Federals  were  roused,  they  were  deter- 
mined to  put  an  end  to  this  wild  warfare  of  the 
guerillas.  The  hunt  was. up,  but  the  foxes  were 
more  wary  than  the  huntsmen  knew.  The  garrison 
of  Plattsburg,  in  the  County  Town  of  Clinton,  was 
left  practically  undefended,  the  defenders  being  out 
in  search  of  the  free-booters.  The  information  Mrs. 
Samuels  had  given  her  son  was  of  the  highest 
importance.  Before  the  moon  had  set  and  just  as 
day  was  dawning  on  the  mountain  tops,  Frank  was 
in  his  saddle  again  and  on  his  way  to  Scott.  Scott 
heard  the  tidings,  the  opportunity  was  too  good  to 
be  lost.  What  greater  satire  than  to  surprise  Platts- 
burg while  its  gallant  defenders  pursued  their  fruit- 
less search.  There  was  no  time  to  be  lost.  These 
were  the  days  when  speedy  action,  followed  quick, 
on  quick  resolves. 

Silently  and  secretly  Scott's  little  band  broke  up 
camp  about  the  second  midnight  after  the  Richfield 
raid.  They  rode  within  about  four  miles  of  Platts- 
burg, on  Smith's  Fork  of  the  Grand  river.  They 
rested  in  a  dense  wood  and  slept  for  a  few  hours. 
Scouts  were  sent  out  to  ascertain  the  situation  of 
affairs.     On  their  return  a  little  before  three  o'clock 


Opening  Fire,  61 

in  the  afternoon  tlie  raiders  mounted  horses  and 
pushed  on  with  all  speed  to  the  Market  square  at 
Plattsburg.  There  were  a  few  militiamen  left  in 
tlie  Court-house.  They  were  taken  by  utter  surprise, 
but  were  not  disposed  to  yield  without  a  struggle. 
Ill  the  midst  of  the  excitement  Captain  Rodgers  the 
Federal  commander  of  the  garrison  rode  into  the 
square,  but  before  he  could  rejoin  his  men  he  w^as 
taken  prisoner  by  Frank  James.  At  sight  of  this  a 
fierce  struggle  ensued.  The  Federal  soldiers  pouring 
out  all  the  fire  they  could  in  the  direction  of  the 
guerillas.  For  a  time  the  issue  seemed  to  be  very 
doubtful.  Frank  James  perceiving  the  gravity  of 
the  situation  shouted  to  Captain  Scott:  "Captain, 
shoot  that  man,  unless  he  gives  up  the  Court-house.'' 

With  a  great  oath  Scott  swore  he  would,  at  the 
same  time  showing  his  loaded  revolver. 

Captain  Rodgers  yielded  at  discretion.  The  gar- 
rison was  in  the  hands  of  Scott's  little  band.  Two 
hundred  muskets  were  captured  and  destroyed.  The 
citizens  had  fled  in  the  most  abject  fear.  Scott's 
followers  began  their  work  of  pillage,  $12,000  in 
Missouri  "Union  Defence  Warrants"  were  taken 
beside  a  large  quantity  of  clothing.  The  spoils  of 
war  were  divided.  Frank  James"  share  amounting 
to  $1000.  This  was  the  first  money  that  crossed  his 
palm  as  a  guerrilla.  The  day  closed  strangely  after 
a  grotesque  fashion.  The  Federal  prisoners  were 
paroled,  the  principal  hotel  keeper  was  ordered  to 
prepare  a  banquet  with  all  speed.  The  Federal 
commander  an'd  his  comrade  s —  all  prisoners — were 


52  The  Life  of  Frank  and  Jesse  James. 

present  and  shared  the  feast.  Everything  went 
merry  as  a  marriage  ball.  There  was  not  the  slight- 
est sign  of  resistance  on  the  part  of  the  affrighted 
citizens.  At  about  nine  o'clock  at  night  these  roys- 
tering  dare  devils  took  horse  and  spurred  away 
through  the  darkness  back  to  Quantrells  camp. 


CHAPTER   Till. 

A  CARNIVAL  OF  MURDER. 

lAWRENCE  WHOLLY  DESTROYED — QUANTRELL  MOVES 
SOUTHWARD — SKIRMISllING  —  AROUND     THE 
CAMP-FIRE,     AUC^UST    ISTH,    1803 — QUANT- 
RELL's    SPEECH  ! — ON   TO  LAWRENCE! 
— A   DAY  OF   DOOM  I— FRANK   AND 
JESSE    KILL    SIXTY-FIVE   MEN 
BETWEEN  THEM— A  PER- 
ILOUS  RETREAT. 

It  was  a  strong  point  with  tlie  sagacious  Quantrell 
never  to  keep  camp  very  long  in  the  same  district. 
Whatever  might  seem  to  be  tlie  guarantees  of  safety, 
he  always  deemed  it  safest  to  be  moving  about.  So 
after  the  raiding  of  Plattsburg  Quantrell  ordered 
the  camp  to  be  broken  up  and  pitched  to  southward. 
In  this  region  a  most  deplorable  state  of  things  ex- 
isted=  The  residents  suffered  exceedingly  from  the 
pitiless  sack  and  pillage  of  both  Federal  and  Confed- 
erate soldiers.  And  as  of  old,  what  the  palmer- 
worm  left  the  locust  devoured  ;  so,  what  the  regular 
soldiery  left  the  guerrillas  most  remorselessly  ap« 
propriated.     The  James  brothers  were  now  warm 

(53) 


54  ihe  Life  of  Frank  and  Jesse  James. 

ing  to  their  work.  The  crack  of  the  pistol  and  the 
flash  of  the  bowie  knife  might  be  heard  and  seen 
any  and  every  day.  There  was  no  day  without  its 
victims.  Peace  and  law  and  order  gave  place  to  the 
most  demoralized  and  dangerous  condition  of  things. 
¥.0  man's  life  was  safe.  Tbe  possession  of  property, 
and  especially  of  money  was  a  man's  passport  to  a 
blood}^  grave.  Yet  no  one  interfered.  Even  the 
militia  seemed  by  common  consent  to  let  Quantrell 
and  his  followers  have  their  way  wholly  undisturbed. 
True,  whenever  they  attacked  the  guerrillas  they 
were  most  woefully  defeated.  So  that  they  grew 
weary  of  fighting  losing  battles. 

But  Quantrell  and  his  blood-thirsty  horde  were 
tired  of  these  small  frays  and  longed  for  some  grand 
assault.  On  a  lovely  summer  night,  August  18th, 
1863,  the  guerillas  were  gathered  round  their  camp- 
fire,  when  their  leader  sought  a  conference  with  a 
few  of  the  bolder  and  more  daring  spirits.  The 
heroes  of  these  pages,  Frank  and  Jesse  James — the 
Younger  brothers,  the  Shepherd  brothers  and  two  or 
three  others  were  summoned  to  the  council.  It  was 
resolved  that  Lawrence,  a  thrift}^  little  town  on  the 
river  Kaw,  in  Kansas,  should  be  the  scene  of  their 
next  desperate  exploits.  Quantrell's  pent-up  hate 
against  Gen.  Jim  Lane,  who  resided  in  Lawrence, 
determined  him  in  this  course.  The  council  fell  in 
with  QuantrelFs  resolve.  The  sturdy,  fearless  chief 
did  not  seek  for  a  moment  to  underestimate  the 
perilous  character  of  the  undertaking.  It  would  be 
hard  fighting;  there  would  be  countless  obstacles  in 


A  Carnival  of  Murder  65 

the  way,  and  many  would  be  left  on  the  prairies  to 
fester  in  the  sun.  His  chosen  advisers,  nothing- 
daunted,  joined  most  enthusiastically  in  the  scheme; 
whereupon  Quantrell  called  his  followers  to  arms 
and  made  them  this  remarkable  speech : 

"  Fellow  Soldiers:  A  cousultation  just  \\M  with  several  of 
my  comrades  has  resulted  in  a  decision  that  we  break  camp  to- 
morrow and  take  up  a  line  of  march  for  Lawrence,  Kansas;  that 
wv  attack  that  town,  and  if  pressed  too  hard,  lay  it  in  ashes.  This 
undertaking,  let  me  assure  you,  is  hazardous  in  the  extreme.  The 
territorj^  through  which  we  must  pass  is  full  of  enemies,  and  the 
entire  way  will  be  beset  by  well-armed  men  through  whom  it  will 
be  necessary  for  us  to  carve  our  way.  I  know  full  well  that  there 
is  not  a  man  in  my  command  who  fears  a  foe;  that  no  braver 
force  ever  existed  than  it  is  my  honor  to  lead  ;  but  you  have  ncA^er 
encountered  danger  such  as  we  will  have  to  meet  oil  our  way  to 
Lawrence;  therefore  let  me  say  to  you,  without  doubting  in  the 
least  your  heroism,  if  there  are  any  in  my  command  who  would 
prefer  not  to  stake  their  lives  in  such  a  dangerous  attempt  let, 
them  step  outside  the  ranks  !" 

For  a  moment  after  this  speech  there  was  silence  ; 
no  sound  was  heard  save  the  sighing  of  the  night 
winds  through  the  pines  and  the  crackling  of  the 
camp-fire,  when  all  at  once  a  great  shout  burst  from 
the^  followers  of  the  intrepid  chief,  and  the  cry  from 
every  lip  was  :  "On  to  Lawrence  !"  There  was  but 
one  desire,  to  strike  Gen.  Lane  in  his  stronghold  and 
lay  waste  the  city  on  the  Kaw.  At  break  of  day  on 
the  19th  of  August  the  order  was  given  to  ''mount," 
and  under  the  black  banner  of  death  the  guerrillas, 
two  hundred  strong,  followed  Quantrell  to  the 
bloody  fray  ! 

The  history  of  the  next  few  days  is  one  of  barbar- 


56  The  Lift:-  of  Frank  and  Jc-sst^  James. 

ous  cruelty.  At  Aiibray,  a  small  town  on  the  border 
line  of  Kansas,  Quantrell  compelled  three  men  whom 
he  saw  sitting  at  a  store  to  become  guides.  There 
was  nothing  for  it  but  to  obey.  After  faithful  ser- 
vice, bi'inging  the  whole  force  safely  and  expedi- 
tiously to  Cole  creek,  eight  miles  from  Lawrence, 
the  ruthless  leader  ordered  these  men  to  be  shot,  on 
the  principle,  probably,  that  dead  men  tell  no  tales. 
Frank  and  Jesse  James  were  charged  to  execute  the 
diabolical  command.  They  took  the  men  into  a 
wood  and  shot  them  dowm  like  dogs.  One  was  an 
old  man  who  pleaded  hard  for  life ;  begged  and 
prayed  and  implored;  reminding  these  cruel  men 
that  he  had  done  them  good  service  and  no  harm. 
But  a  bullet  went  crashing  through  the  old  man's 
brain  and  stopped  his  praying,  and  tke  young  mur- 
derers went  inerrily  on  ! 

It  was  a  beautiful  morning  the  ^Ist  of  August, 
1863;  the  sun  broke  in  beauty  over  the  undulating 
prairie.  Men  and  women  were  goivig  forth  to  toil, 
and  children  were  waking  up  to  pla,y.  Suddenly  a 
wild  cry  was  heard,  up  went  the  black  banner,  and 
with  a  yell  like  wild  Indians  the  marauders  dashed 
into  Lawrence.  The  unoffending  residents  took 
alarm.  Volley  after  volley  was  fired.  The  people 
saw  the  dark  ensign  of  the  grave  and  knew  that  the 
guerrillas  were  upon  them.  They  made  no  resist- 
ance ;  they  felt  resistance  was  vain.  Quantrell's 
bloody  hordes  had  already  v/on  the  name  of  ^*irre- 
sistable  !"  Men  sank  down  without  a  groan,  shot 
dead  I    Women  fled  through  the  streets  only  to  fall 


A  Carnival  of  Murder.  57 

dead  before  the  bullets  of  these  incarnate  devils. 
The  streets  literally  ran  Avith  human  blood. 

Iii  this  wild  pandemonium  Frank  and  Jesse  James 
held  conspicuous  places.  Here,  there,  and  every- 
where, pistol  in  hand,  they  were  to  be  seen.  They 
were  cold-blooded  and  deliberate  through  all  that 
carnival  of  bloodshed ;  their  pistols  never  missed 
fire;  their  bullets  never  missed  their  aim.  They 
made  a  brutal  boast  that  between  them  they  killed 
sixty-five  that  awful  day  ;  Jesse  his  thirty,  and 
Frank  his  thirty-five  ! 

The  prime  object  of  this  sortie,  as  has  been  already 
said,  was  to  lay  a  strong  hand  on  Gen.  Jim  Lane 
who,  with  his  relentless  Jayhawkers,  had  burned 
and  sacked  the  tow^n  of  Osceola,  Mo.  Lane  lived  in 
Lawrence,  but  the  moment  he  heard  that  the  fol- 
lowers of  Quantrell  were  at  hand  he  fled  like  a  das- 
tard and  a  coward  and  hid  himself  in  a  corn-field. 
The  guerrillas,  foiled  and  maddened  by  being 
cheated  of  their  chief  prey,  shot  down  every  man 
who  came  within  the  range  of  their  revolvers. 
Quantrell's  orders  were  to  shoot  down  every  man, 
but  to  spare  the  women  and  the  children.  Many 
women  and  children,  however,  were  shot,  and  others 
met  a  more  horrible  death  ;  for  the  murderers  became 
incendiaries,  and,  with  flame  and  torch,  set  the 
beautiful  city  of  Lawrence  on  fire.  The  groans  of 
the  dying  mingled  with  the  shrieks  of  the  burning, 
and  house  and  home  fell  a  prey  to  the  devouring 
flames.  The  guerrillas  became  demoralized;  they 
broke  open  saloons  and  stores  and  soon  became  a 


58  The  Life  of  Frank  and  Jesse  James, 

mob  of  howling,  drunken  devils.  The  holocaust  of 
murder  and  rapine  lasted  all  day;  and  when  the 
night  closed  on  the  ghastly  harvest  of  hell,  the  city 
of  Lawrence  was  swept  wholly  from  the  face  of  the 
earth. 

Quantrell  and  his  men  beat  a  hasty  retreat.  Their 
journey  back  to  Missouri  was  more  perilous  than  the 
day  of  slaughter.  The  Kansas  militia  and  the  Fed- 
eral troops  massed  and  pursued  the  flying  murder- 
ers. But,  though  they  were  fully  seven  thousand 
strong,  Quantrell's  troops  escaped.  Their  names 
had  become  so  terrible  that  it  took  men  of  no  ordi- 
nary boldness  to  face  them.  It  takes  a  brave  man  to 
face  the  devil;  and  surely  there  was  more  of  the 
demon  than  the  human  in  these  men.  After  many 
hair-breadth  escapes  the}^  reached  the  coverts  of 
Jackson  and  Clay  Counties,  where  they  were  com- 
paratively safe.  Their  total  loss  was  only  twenty- 
one  men.  None  of  the  leaders  had  fallen.  Frank 
and  Jesse  James  bore  charmed  lives  through  all  the 
dreadful  carnage.  They  had  received  no  wound  or 
Ecar.  Reserved  as  it  would  seem  for  darker  ard 
more  desperate  deeds. 


OHAPTEE  IX. 

A  BLOODY  CATALOGUE 

QUANTRELL'S  squads — WILD  RUSH  ON  RANSOM's  CA V 
ALRY— FRANK  AND  JESSE  IN  KANSAS,  DEALING 
OUT  DEATH  AND  DOOM — DEFEAT  OF  THE 
COLORADO  TROOPS — FRANK  AT  HARRI- 
SONVILLE  —  JESSE  WOUNDED— 
STRUGGLE  AT  FAYETTE — 
JESSE'S  GALLANT  RES- 
CUE  OF  LEE 
MCMURTRY. 

A  month  of  comparative  leisure  followed  the 
dreadful  massacre  of  Lawrence,  during  which  time 
Frank  and  Jesse  James  found  opportunities,  though 
not  without  considerable  peril,  of  visiting  their 
home.  These  visits  were  most  welcome  to  Mrs. 
Samuels,  who  took  a  strange  and  weird  delight  in 
the  wild  work  of  her  sons.  Instead  of  urging  them 
to  turn  away  from  such  a  life  of  wreckless  daring, 
she  the  rather  fed  the  fires  of  their  lawless  am- 
bition. • 

The  weeks  of  xcisure  fled  quickly  past.  At  last 
Quantrell's  cry  was  heard.     The  trumpet  called  lo 

(59) 


60  The  Life  of  Frank  and  Jesse  James, 

arms!   and  the  James  boys  were  ready  for  the  fray. 

Quantrell,  like  a  sagacious  General,  had  been 
most  carefully  considering*  the  condition  of  the 
forces  under  his  command,  and  if  nothing  could  be 
done,  to  render  them  a  still  greater  terror  to  all  law- 
abiding  people.  So  after  considerable  thought  he 
had  resolved  to  reorganize  his  little  army.  The 
command  was  to  be  divided  into  squads  of  twenty 
or  thirty,  by  which  means  bold  and  unexpected 
dashes  could  be  made  at  various  points  at  the  same 
moment.  By  this  means  their  foes  would  be  con- 
fused and  bewildered,  and  pursuit  would  be  rendered 
vain;  and  if  disaster  fell  upon  one  or  more  of  the 
squads  that  would  be  better  than  the  destruction  of 
the  whole  force.  For  a  time  this  method  was 
emminently  successful.  The  Federal  soldiers  and 
the  Union  citizens  were  wholly  unprepared  for  any 
such  movement,  and  it  did  not  cost  superstitious 
people  much  of  an  effort  to  believe  that  these 
guerrillas  were  really  in  league  with  the  devil. 
Quantrell  seemed  to  them  to  be  almost  omnipresent. 
He  seemed  to  be  able  to  move  his  troops  in  the 
twinkling  of  an  eye;  and  he  and  his  wild  following 
became  more  and  more  a  dread  and  terror  through 
all  Western  Missouri. 

Jesse  James  was  appointed  to  the  command  of  a 
squad  of  twenty-five  men.  He  became  aware — 
probably  through  information  received  from  his 
mother — of  the  movements  of  a  company  of  Federal 
Cavalry  under  the  C3mmand  of  Captain  Ransom. 
The  Federal  soldiers  were  marching  toward  a  place 


A  Bloodij  Catalogue.  61 

called  Pleasant  Hill.  They  were  marching  leisurely 
along  past  a  dense  wood,  when  all  in  a  moment  a 
rain  of  bullets  fell  upon  them  from  the  wood,  and 
men  fell  dead  from  their  horses  as  leaves  fall  in  an 
Autumn  gale;  so  fatal  was  the  fire  and  so  unerring 
the  aim  of  their  unseen  foes.  The  whole  company 
of  the  Cavalry  was  thrown  into  the  most  dreadful 
consternation.  Jesse  James  seeing  the  advantage, 
ordered  his  squad  to  dash  into  the  confused  and 
stricken  ranks,  and  without  one  thought  of  mercy 
the  wild  work  was  done.  The  havoc  was  terrible. 
Less  than  thirty  out  of  the  hundred  of  Captain 
Ransom's  Cavalry  lived  to  tell  the  story  of  that 
savage  onslaught;  while,  strange  to  say,  the  loss  of 
the  guerrillas  was  only  one  killed  and  one  wounded. 
It  is  said  that  Frank  fought  under  his  younger 
brother's  lead  in  this  conflict,  and  that  Jesse  killed 
seven  men  and  Frank  eight  on  this  bloody  day. 

A  week  later  Frank  and  Jesse,  with  fifty  guer- 
rillas in  command,  suddenly  appeared  in  Bourbon 
County,  in  Kansas,  five  miles  from  Fort  Scott. 
Captain  Blunt  commanded  a  company  of  seventy- 
five  mounted  Infantry.  Blunt  and  his  body  guard 
were  marching  peacefully  along,  when  like  a  fiash 
of  lightning  the  guerrillas  opened  fire  and  poured 
the  leaden  hail  into  the  unsuspecting  troops.  A  wild 
3'ell  of  triumph  broke  from  Frank  and  Jesse  as  they 
saw,  one  after  another,  the  soldiers  of  the  Union 
falling  dead  from  their  horses  without  time  for  a 
dying  groan!  Again  the  bullets  rang  from  their 
unerring  revolvers,  and  forty  out  of  the  seventy-five 


62  TJie  Life  of  Frank  and  Jesse  James. 

lay  dead,  their  unburied  bodies  soddened  in  the 
Autumn  rains;  while  the  victors  rode  back  to  bear 
the  tidings  to  Quantrell  and  the  camp. 

We  next  find  the  brothers  following  in  a  squad 
commanded  by  George  Todd.  A  fierce  and  bloody 
conflict  took  place.  Todd  and  his  men  attacked  a 
company  of  the  Second  Colorado  Cavalry,  under 
the  command  of  Captain  Wagner.  This  was  a 
conflict  in  down-right  earnest.  Wagner  was  as 
brave  a  soldier  as  ever  buckled  on  a  sword,  and  if  he 
died  he  meant  to  sell  his  life  as  dearly  as  he  could. 
The  guerillas  were  having  it  all  their  own  way, 
and  it  was  high  time  some  check  was  put  to  their 
terrible  ravages.  The  fight  began  and  it  was  ter- 
rible! Todd  made  a  furious  onslaught,  but  he  was 
met  by  unusual  resistance  on  the  part  of  Wagner's 
command.  It  came  to  a  hand-to-hand  fight;  the 
rattle  of  revolvers  giving  place  to  the  clash  of 
swords.  Jesse  James  fought  like  a  tiger  robbed  of 
her  whelps,  and  taking  advantage  of  an  opportune 
moment  he  spurred  his  horse  and  sent  a  bullet 
crashing  through  the  heart  of  the  gallant  Captain 
Vf  agner.  The  company  became  demoralized  at  the 
loss  of  their  leader,  and  they  soon  began  to  retreat 
in  wild  confusion.  The  wounded  who  were  unable 
to  fly,  and  who  called  for  quarter,  called  in  vain; 
the  only  sign  of  mercy  shown  them  was  that  they 
were  shot,  or  put  to  death  by  the  sword,  while  their 
bodies  were  left  to  rot  unburied.  On  the  12th  of 
August  Frank  and  Jesse  shot  seven  Federal  soldieri 
dead,  at  Perry  County,  Missouri. 


A  Bloody  Catalogue.  63 

The  Federal  forces  were  now  being  massed  at 
Harrisonville.  To  ascertain  their  exact  position 
and  number  was  the  perilous  task  assigned  to  Frank 
James.  The  greater  the  peril  the  greater  the  honor 
was  a  cardinal  doctrine  in  the  code  of  guerrilla  war- 
fare. Frank  rode  straight  for  the  town,  and  neither 
drew  spur  or  rein  till  he  had  come  within  sight  of 
the  picket  lines.  He  fastened  his  horse  to  a  forest 
tree  and  under  the  cover  of  the  darkness  managed 
to  creep  through  the  lines.  He.  found  a  negro  from 
whom  he  gathered  all  the  information  he  wished  to 
obtain,  and  then  as  stealthily  crept  back  and 
mounted  his  horse.  At  this  point,  however,  he  was 
espied  by  two  of  the  guard,  who  called  to  him  to 
halt.  His  answer  was  from  his  revolvers;  one  shot 
went  through  the  brain  of  one,  the  second  guard  was 
mortally  wounded.  Having  given  these  murderous^ 
replies,  and  having  roused  the  Federal  camp  to 
stumble  in  the  darkness  over  the  dead  bodies  of  the 
guard,  Frank  rode  back  to  Quantrell's  camp  with  his 
information. 

On  the  IGth  of  August,  18(j4,  two  days  after 
Frank's  adventure  with  the  picket  guards  of  the 
Harrisonville  Federal  militia,  an  attack  was  made 
on  the  Garrison  at  Harrisonville,  but  the  regulars, 
forewarned  by  the  events  of  Frank's  visit,  were 
ready  for  their  lawless  assailants.  The  guerrillas 
were  compelled  to  retire;  and  this  w^as  to  them  most 
humiliating.  They  heard,  however,  of  a  band  of 
Federal  volunteers,  who  were  encamped  on  Grand 
River,  at  Flat  Rock  Ford.     Thither  they  bent  theu 


04  'jhe  Life  of  Frank  and  Jesse  James. 

steps,  only  again  to  be  defeated.  In  this  fight  Jesse 
James — who  seemed  to  have  borne  hitherto  a 
charmed  life — was  seriously  wounded.  A  musket 
ball  passed  through  his  breast,  tearing  away  a 
large  portion  of  his  left  lung,  and  knocking  him 
from  his  horse.  He  fell  as  if  dead,  and  but  for  the 
bravery  and  fidelity  of  his  companions  Avould  have 
been, made  a  prisoner  of  w^ar;  and  probably  the 
world  would  have  heard  no  more  of  Jesse  James. 
But  these  guerrillas  were  bound  by  an  awful  free- 
masonry to  stand  by  each  other  in  the  hour  of  peril, 
and  Arch  Clements  and  John  Janette  rode  back 
through  a  terrible  rain  of  bullets  and  rescued  their 
fallen  comrade.  He  was  taken  to  the  house  of 
Capt.  John  A.  M.  Rudd,  where  for  man}"  days  his 
death  was  hourly  expected.  Jesse  himself  antici- 
pated fatal  results,  but  this  fact  awoke  in  him  no 
terrors.  He  determined  to  be  as  fearless  in  death  as 
he  had  been  dauntless  in  life.  He  took  from  his 
finger  a  diamond  ring,  which  he  charged  Frank  to 
give  to  their  sister  Susie,  and  to  her  he  sent  this 
dying  message: 

"  I  have  no  regret.  I've  done  what  I  thought  was 
right.  I  die  contented.''  Happy  would  it  have 
been  for  himself,  and  for  society,  and  for  the  fair 
fame  of  humanity,  if  the  pitcher  had  been  broken  at 
the  fountain;  but  Jesse  James  was  reserved  for  darker 
deeds.  By  the  7th  of  September  he  liad  so  far  re- 
covered as  to  be  ready  to  travel  and  fight  again.  On 
the  10th  of  the  month  on  the  way  to  visit  his  mother, 
he  sUot  three  militia  men  dead  at  Keytesville,  Char- 


A  Bloody  Catalogue.  tnt 

iton,  Missouri,  who  questioned  the  right  of  way  with 
him.  On  the  17th  he  rode  twenty-nine  miles  to  give 
Todd  tidings  concerning  the  movements  of  the 
Federal  forces. 

On  the  20th  of  September  the  whole  of  Quantrell's 
band  made  a  concerted  attack  on  Fayette,  Missouri. 
All 'the  leaders  were  there  ;  Quantrell  and  x\nderson; 
Poole  and  Clements  and  Todd.  Charge  after  charge 
was  made,  but  all  in  vain.  The  Federals  hurled 
the  guerrillas  back  with  unexampled  force.  Every 
charge  of  the  Federals  left  a  trail  of  dead  or  wounded 
outlaws.  It  was  without  question  one  of  the  sever- 
est repulses  they  had  ever  met.  In  the  melee,  Lee 
McMurtry,  one  of  the  bravest  of  Anderson's  men, 
was  dreadfully  Avounded  right  under  the  Federal 
parapets.  In  tne  face  of  the  blazing  muzzles  of  the 
foeman's  guns, 'Jesse  James  marched  to  drag  away 
his  Avounded  friend.  The  hail  of  leaden  bullets 
Avhizzed  and  rattled  round  him,  but  he  escaped  un- 
scathed. He  bore  a  charmed  life.  His  brave  and 
gallant  deed  is  the  only  one  redeeming  feature  of 
that  complete  defeat  at  Fayette. 


CHAP  TEE    X. 

MORE  DIREFUL  DEEDS. 

a  ghastly  moonlight  scene — siege  of  a  bagnio- 
one  deed  of  mercy— centralia  —  frank  adds 
eight  to  his  death-roll  —  murder  of 
banes — jesse  wounded — todd  dies 
—  quantrell's    band  broken 

UP. 

One  moonlight  night  Frank  and  five  others  of  the 
Dand  were  detailed  to  lay  siege  to  a  notorious  bagnio 
four  miles  east  of  Wellington  in  Lafayette  county. 
This  house  of  debauchery  was  constantly  frequented 
by  a  number  of  Federal  Militia  men.  Frank  had 
charge  of  the  sortie,  and  went  a  little  ahead  of  his 
company  to  reconnoitre.  He  crept  stealthily  up  to 
the  house  and  through  the  chinks  of  the  window 
saw  the  whole  place  full  of  Federal  soldiers  and 
lewd  women.  There  were  eleven  men  and  eleven 
women.  Their  shameful  festival  was  at  its  height. 
The  women  were  nearly  nude,  and  the  whole  com- 
pany assumed  every  conceivable  form  of  voluptuous 
grouping.  Thev  had  been  drinking  hard.  The  songs 

(66) 


3Iore  Direful  Deeds.  67 

were  loud  and  lewd.  The  fun  grew  fast  and  furious 
They  were  taking  their  fill  of  such  delights  as  the 
bagnio  offered,  wlien  suddenly  a  wild,  unearthly 
yell  startled  them  from  their  midnight  debauch.  A 
craven  terror  possessed  them,  the  men  and  women 
alike  grew  instantly  sober,  for  they  knew  the  mean- 
ing of  tliat  wild  cry.  They  knew  the  guerrillas 
were  upon  them.  Frank  James  summoned  the  men 
at  once  to  leave  the  house,  promising  safety  to  the 
women.  As  the  soldiers  came  to  the  yard,  a  rain  of 
bullets  was  poured  upon  them  and  ten  of  the  eleven 
fell  dead  before  having  time  for  a  moment's  parley. 
But  where  was  the  eleventh  man  ?  A  search  was 
made.  But  no  man  could  be  found.  At  last  Frank 
found  there  were  twelve  instead  of  eleven  w^omen. 
A  more  vigorous  search  was  instituted  which  resulted 
in  the  discovery  that  one  of  the  men,  young  and 
fair,  an  evident  favorite  at  the  bagnio,  had  been  as 
quick  as  thought,  attired  in  w^oman's  clothes.  Frank 
James  discovered  the  man,  he  had  blue  eyes  and  a 
handsome  face  and  would  easily,  at  a  distance  and 
in  woman's  clothes,  pass  for  a  woman.  Of  course 
he  expected  to  die  there  and  then.  His  ten  com- 
panions lay  out  in  the  yard,  with  their  dead  faces 
upturned  to  the  beauty  of  the  solemn  moonlight. 
It  was  a  ghastly  scene.  The  women  wailed  in  an- 
guish and  pleaded  for  the  unmurdered  boy.  "He 
was  so  3^oung  to  die!"  they  said.  ''And  were  they 
not  content  with  the  slaughtered  ten?"  "Here, 
Yrank,  take  him,"  said  the  ringleader  of  the  band. 
"You  discovered  him  ;  he  is  vours  to  deal  with." 


6S  llie  Life  of  Frank  and  Jesse  James. 

**Come  along,"  said  Frank,  ''and  be  shot»"  The 
poor  lad  trembled  in  every  limb  and  scarcely  could 
follow  the  lead  of  the  cold-blooded  murderer  of  his 
dead  comrades.  They  went  out  of  the  yard  past 
the  ghastly  heap  of  the  dead  men,  out  into  an  ad- 
jacent thicket.  *'  Here,  boy,  we  are  far  enough," 
said  Frank  James,  as  they  reached  a  lofty  tree  that 
looked  spectral  in  the  starlight.  The  poor  boy  fell 
to  the  earth  and  began-to  plead,  "  Oh,  spare  me  for 
my  poor  old  mothers  sake,"  he  pleaded.  *'  I  never 
did  you  any  harm.  I  would  not  mind  dying  in  bat- 
tle, but  to  die  in  such  a  way !  It  would  break  my 
mothers  heart ! "  The  blue-eyed  soldier  boy  was 
spared  for  his  mothers  sake.  ''You  are  free,  boy," 
said  Frank,  firing  his  pistol  in  the  air.  The  boy  es- 
caped through  the  darkness.  This  one  deed  of  mercy 
Frank  kept  to  himself.  He  did  not  reveal  that  he 
was  ever  weak  enough  to  be  moved  by  a  suppliant's 
plea.  ''Quick  work,  Frank,"  said  one  of  his  com- 
rades as  he  returned  to  them.  "  Yes,"  said  Frank, 
"  babies  don't  take  much  killing.  No  need  to  waste 
two  shots  on  a  boy  !" 

One  quiet  evening,  during  this  eventful  summer, 
Jesse  James  and  Arch  Clements  were  riding  along 
without  particular  thought  of  slaughter,  when  they 
suddenly  espied  four  militia  men  in  an  orchard, 
gathering  apples.  Two  of  them  were  in  one  tree 
and  two  in  another.  Without  pause,  without  a  word 
orf  parley,  these  guerrillas  drew  their  revolvers  and 
shot  the  four  men  dead,  and  then  pursued  their  jour- 
ney with  scarce  a  break  in  the  conversation. 


More  Direful  Deeds,  0^ 

The  27th  of  September  1864  was  a  day  amongst  the 
saddest  and  most  awful  of  these  Missourian  records. 
Qiiantrells  power  was  slipping  into  the  hands  of  Bill 
Anderson,— as  wild  a  Tiger  as  ever  thirsted  for 
blood.  There  was  no  deed  too  daring  for  him  to 
undertake,  no  scheme  too  merciless  for  his  dark  soul 
to  revel  in.  He  was  described  as  ''the  most  savage 
guerrilla  that  ever  trod  the  soil  of  Missouri."  He 
had  resolved  on  a  desperate  massacre,  at  Centralia, 
a  village  in  the  northeastern  part  of  the  county  of 
Boone,  on  the  line  of  the  St.  Louis,  Kansas  City  and 
Northern  Railroad.  It  was  a  beautiful  morning  this 
fatal  27tli  of  September.  One  of  those  mornings 
when  Summer  seems  to  be  wooing  the  Autumn,  the 
peaceful  Centralians  little  dreamed  of  that  day's 
disasters,  albeit  they  were  somewhat  alarmed 
when  they  saw  a  company  of  men  a  hundred  and 
fifty  strong  marching  toward  the  quiet  village;  but 
when  they  saw  the  black  flag  unfolded,  they  knew 
that  danger  and  death  were  not  far  behind  and  their 
hearts  sunk  within  them.  They  never  dreamed  for 
a  moment  of  resistance.  The  terror  these  guerrillas 
had  inspired  was  perfect  and  was  often  half  and 
sometimes  a  whole  victory  for  them.  They  pillaged 
every  house,  and  then  Anderson  ordered  his  mur- 
derous troops  to  form  in  line  in  front  of  the  Railway 
depot,  of  which  they  took  posession.  They  had  not 
waited  long  when  a  train  came  along  with  five  pas- 
senger cars  well-filled  with  soldiers  and  citizens.  A 
few  shots  were  fired  and  then  they  boarded  the  cars 
Every  one  of  the  passengers  was  ordered  out  and 


70  The  Life  of  Frank  and  Jesse  James. 

made  to  form  in  line.  The  thirty-eight  soldiers  were 
separated  from  the  civilians  and  all  disarmed.  Then 
came  a  breathless  awful  pause.  Bill  Anderson  was 
holding  a  moment's  conversation  with  Frank  and 
Jesse  James;  a  signal  was  given,  a  wild  yell  was 
raised,  the  soldiers  were  marched  a  little  distance 
and  every  man  of  them  shot  dead!  not  a  bullet  missed 
its  mark!  The  victim  fell  with  the  report  of  the  pis^ 
:ol,  groaned  an  awful  groan,  writhed  a  moment  or 
two,  gasped  a  half  suffocating  gasp,  and  then  all 
was  over! — Having  wrought  their  fill  upon  the  sol- 
diery they  then  turned  their  attention  to  the  passen- 
gers whom  they  robbed  of  all  their  valuables  and 
then  permitted  them  to  proceed  on  their  journey 
without  further  molestation 

This  hour  of  horrible  butchery  had  hardly  passed 
before  Anderson  and  his  gang  found  a  pretty  stiff 
piece  of  work  cut  out  for  them.  They  were  not  to 
carry  on  this  kind  of  work  without  any  interference 
whatever.  In  the  afternoon  of  this  day  Major  J. 
H.  Johnson  rode  into  Centralia  at  the  head  of  a 
hundred  Iowa  volunteers — A  dreadful  conflict 
ensued.  For  a  time  it  seemed  as  if  the  lowans  were 
doomed  to  suffer  by  the  lawless  muderers;  but  the 
intrepid  George  Todd,  burst  through  the  volunteer 
lines,  and  soon  the  wretched  soldiers  were  scattered 
and  shot  down  like  wandering  sheep.  Jesse  James 
set  his  mark  upon  the  leader  of  the  troops  and  when 
the  fight  was  at  its  hottest,  sent  a  bullet  through  the 
heart  of  Major  Johnson;  he  threw  up  his  hands 
groaned,  and  fell  from  his  horse;  there  was  a  stiffen- 


3foie  Direful  Deeds.  71 

ing  form,  a  crimson  streamlet  flow  ing  from  as  gal- 
lant a  heart  as  ever  beat,  and  that  was  all!  It  was 
all  over  with  the  troops,  such  as  could  escape  did. 
The  wounded  were  shot  dead.  And  the  dead  were 
left  stark  and  still  and  unburied  on  the  blood-stained 
prairie.  Of  that  hundred,  not  thirty  returned  to  tell 
the  tale  of  the  massacre  of  Centralia.  It  was  a  day 
of  horror;  as  the  night  came  the  guerrillas  made 
merry  and  spent  the  hours  in  fiendish  delight.  Frank 
James  boasting  that  he  had  taken  eight  lives  that 
day. 

About  this  time  the  James  boys  wrought  another 
of  their  diabolical  deeds.  There  was  an  old  man 
named  Banes  known  to  be  a  pronounced  uncompro- 
mising Union  man.  One  night  Frank  and  Jesse, 
pretending  to  be  Colorado  troopers,  visited  the  old 
man  who  lived  in  a  corner  of  Clay  County,  Mo. 
Their  purpose  was  to  obtain  information  concerning 
the  movenient  of  the  Federal  soldiers.  Banes  wel- 
comed the  boys  most  heartily,  but  the  old  man  wore 
his  heart  too  much  on  his  sleeve  to  be  safe.  He 
opened  his  mind  freely  and  poured  all  the  abuse  he 
could  find  language  to  pour  on  these  murdering 
thieving  guerillas.  He  was  particularly  rough  on 
Mrs.  Samuels.  Indeed  he  blamed  her  more  than  he 
blamed  her  unconscionable  sons,  and  went  so  far  as 
to  say  that  she  was  *'the  mother  of  two  devils!" 
Frank  and  Jesse  without  a  sign  that  a  third  party 
could  understand  resolved  upon  then-  course.  They 
affected  to  agree  with  him,  secured  his  confidence, 
and    even    persuaded  him  to  accompany  them  in 


72  "^he  Lfe  of  Frank  and  Jesse  James, 

search  of  the  young  desperadoes.  Banes  got  his 
gun  and  pistol,  saddled  his  horse,  and  the  three  rode 
on  for  ahout  a  couple  of  miles,  when  suddenly  Frank 
and  Jesse  turned  upon  the  unsuspecting  old  man, 
told  him  who  they  were;  without  time  for  him  to  plead 
for  mercy,  they  each  fired.  The  old  man  fell  dead  from 
his  horse  and  was  left  a  ghastly  corpse  on  the  high- 
w^ay  to  affright  the  next  passer  hy,  while  Frank  and 
Jesse  rode  merrily  on  under  the  quiet  unheeding 
stars. 

The  tide  of  fortune  now  hegan  to  turn  against  the 
guerrillas.  The  ranks  had  been  considerably 
thinned  of  late,  many  a  bold  rider  had  entered  the 
''  Silent  Land"  as  suddenly  and  as  sadly  as  his  vic- 
tims had  gone  before.  Gloom  was  mingled  with  the 
romance  of  the  wild  border  life.  In  a  fray  nob 
far  from  their  camp  on  the  banks  of  the  Black  water, 
Jesse  James  was  wounded.  A  little  later  on  the 
advance  guard  of  the  Federal  Army  under  the  lead 
of  General  Price  brought  havoc  among  the  guerril- 
las. There  wore  numerous  conflicts  and  at  every 
conflict  bloodshed.  In  one  of  these  skirmishes, 
George  Todd  was  killed.  The  James  Boys  dug  his 
grave  amid  the  falling  Autumn  leaves,  and  as  they 
looked  their  last  on  a  face,  they  counted  of  all  faces 
they  had  ever  seen  the  most  brave  and  noble,  they 
pointed  their  pistols  upward  to  the  sky,  and  beneath 
the  light  of  the  sad  September  moon  they  swore  to 
avenge  his  death. 

The  dim  leaves  of  October  1804  began  to  fall,  the 
summer  of  blood  was  ended.     For  Missouri  never 


Mo}'e  Direful  Deeds.  73 

saw  such  a  year  of  rapine  and  robbery  and  murder 
as  that  year  1864.  Quantrell's  band  was  broken  up. 
Frank  and  Jesse  now  walk  separate  ways,  but  they 
are  still  ways  of  robbery  and  blood. 


OHAPTEE     XI. 

ON  THE  AVAR-PATH  WITH  JESSE. 

THE    WAR-PATH    WITH    JESSE  —  JESSE    FOLLOWS 
SHEPHERD  INTO  TEXAS — CAPT.  GARS  AND  THE  REV. 
W.    P.    GARDINERS   ARE   MURDERED  —  THE   PIN 
INDIANS — JESSE'S    WILD    LEAP —  A    QUIET 
WINTER — IN  MISSOURI  AGAIN — BRUTAL 
MURDER   OF   JAMES   HARKNESS — AL- 
LAN DUNCAN'S  WOOD-CHOPPING 
STOPPED — JESSE   WOUNDED 
AGAIN. 

Quantrell's  band  was  now  dissolved.  The  graves 
at  last  opened  their  hungr}^  mouths  to  receive  some 
of  those  whose  life  and  powers  had  been  spent  in 
sending  others  to  an  untimely  grave,  Many  of  the 
chiefs  were  dead.  Victory  sat  no  longer  on  the 
black  banner.  George  Todd,  to  whom  peril  was  an 
inspiration,  was  resting  in  his  grave.  John  Porte, 
fearless  and  bold,  was  mouldering  beneath  the  sod. 
Fernando  Scott  had  led  his  last  wild  charge.  Bill 
Anderson  sold  his  life  dearly.  Kianey  was  dead 
And  in  many  fields,  and  in  many  gory  graves  la^ 


On  the   Wav-ixdli   With  Jesse.  75 

those  who  if  not  worthy  of  liigli  rank  in  this  liei\alclry 
of  cruel  slaughter;  had  pr-oved  themselves  to  be  fear- 
less, bold  and  bloody.  Missouri  breathed  more 
freely  when  it  Avas  known  that  Quantrell's  Band 
was  now  a  dreadful  memory  of  tlie  past. 

Fraidv  James  went  to  Kentucky.  "But  we  will 
now  pursue  the  steps  of  Jesse.  In  the  Autumn  of 
ISCA,  Jesse  elames  with  about  forty  or  fift}^  other 
guerrillas  under  the  lead  of  Lieutenant  George 
Shepherd,  started  for  Texas.  Their  way  lay  through 
perilous  Indian  territory.  The  utmost  vigilance 
was  needful.  For  if  the  guerrilla  was  wary,  the 
Indian  Avas  cunning.  And  at  any  moment  they 
would  not  have  been  surprised  to  hear  the  w^ild  war 
whoop,  which  none  but  Indians  can  raise.  All  went 
w^ell  for  a  time.  On  the  morning  of  November  22d 
Shepherd's  band  confronted  a  band  of  Union  militia 
commanded  by  Capt.  Emmett  Goss.  This  band  had 
won  a  great  name  for  reckless  daring,  and  Shep- 
herd and  his  party  followers  knew^  that  no  child's 
play  was  before  them.  Goss  was  no  carpet  knight 
but  had  gained  the  reputation  of  being '^  a  fighting 
man."  He  had  but  just  returned  from  a  v\^ild  raid 
in  Arkansas.  Goss  and  Shepherd  met.  And  a 
terrible  fight  ensued.  It  was  a  case  of  "Greek 
meeting  Greek."  The  guerrillas  were  successful. 
Jesse  was  proud  of  his  day's  bloody  w^ork.  He 
singled  out  Captain  Goss,  rode  at  him  furiously, 
fired  twice  in  quick  succession  and  Goss  fell  dead 
from  his  horse  with  one  bullet  through  his  brain  and 
another  throuo^h  his  heart.    The  Kev.  N.  P.  Gardi 


76  The  Life  of  Frank  and  Jesse  James, 

tiers  the  Captain  of  the  Thirteenth  Kansas  Militia 
was  the  next  to  fall  before  Jesse's  fire.  He  pleaded 
hard  for  life,  the  answer  was  a  bullet  and  instant 
death. 

The  Cherokee  Indians  were  favorable  to  the  Union 
and  bitterly  opposed  to  the  guerrillas.  Two  days 
after  the  murder  of  Goss  and  Gardiner,  Jesse  was 
riding  alone  along  the  bank  of  a  stream  when  to  his 
horror  he  heard  the  yell  of  a  body  of  these  Pin  In- 
dians. They  were  well  armed  and  were  regarded 
as  unerring  shots.  There  was  only  one  thing  to  do 
and  that  was  to  retreat.  Jesse  turned  his  horse  and 
fled.  But  they  kept  up  the  chase,  and  Jesse  soon 
found  the  Indians  gaining  upon  him.  There  was 
only  prairie,  prairie,  prairie — not  a  thicket  or  wood 
for  shelter.  One  only  chance  remained,  ahead  of 
him  there  was  a  high  precipice,  the  only  thing  to 
do  was  to  risk  all  on  a  leap.  He  was  quick  to 
determine,  and*  like  Dick  Turpin  of  old  in  his  flying 
leaps  with  Black  Ben,  he  put  spurs  to  his  charger 
and  risked  all  upon  a  single  die.  Fortunately  there 
was  a  pool  of  deep  water  beneath,  neither  he  nor 
his  horse  suffered  by  the  leap;  and  the  Indians  not 
caring  to  follow,  Jesse  escaped  and  found  his  way 
back  to  Shepherd's  camp. 

The  winter  in  Texas  was  spent  very  quietly. 
With  the  spring  Shephered  and  his  followers  turned 
their  faces  once  more  to  Missouri.  They  had  a  good 
deal  of  trouble  with  the  Indians  on  their  return 
journey.  But  the  Indians  gained  nothing  by  their 
interference.     In  April  of  1865  Jesse  Jame^  Wvas  i» 


Oil  The  War-path    With  Jes.sr.  77 

Benton  County.  There  lived  in  this  neighborhood 
a  man  named  James  Harkness,  a  Union  militia  man 
who  made  liimself  most  obnoxious  by  his  strong  pro- 
nounced Northern  tendencies.  Jesse  and  two  of 
his  comrades  captured  the  man,  and  while  the  two 
held  Harkness,— he  the  while  denouncing  them  and 
all  their  robber-brood  in  unmeasured  terms  —  Jesse 
cut  his  throat  from  ear  to  ear,  and  threw  him  in  a 
ditch  to  rot  till  the  buzzards  and  the  wolves  found 
him  out.  The  taste  or  blood  had  its  effect.  The  in- 
human tigers  thirsted  for  more.  They  journied  on 
to  Kingsville,  Johnson  County,  Mo.,  where  an  old 
Federal  militia  man  lived  named  Allan  Duncan. 
Jesse  found  him  chopping  wood,  the  old  man  prayed 
for  mercy.  But  Jesse's  revolver  stopped  the  praying 
and  the  wood  chopping  in  a  very  short  space  of 
time. 

In  this  same  Johnson  County,  Jesse  had  another 
very  narrow  escape.  A  number  of  guerrillas  had 
surrendered  along  with  certain  Confederate  troops 
in  May  1865.  But  Jesse  had  nailed  his  colors  to 
the  mast  and  would  not  surrender.  The  guerrilla 
band  now  hardly  numbered  a  score.  One  day  a 
band  of  Federals  fell  upon  these  stubborn  sons  of 
plunder,  they  fired  upon  them  and  an  awful  conflict 
ensued.  Jesse's  horse  was  killed  under  him,  he 
Avas  wounded  in  the  leg  and  fled  as  fast  as  he  could 
to  the  shelter  of  the  woods,  He  was  pursued  and 
shot  through  the  lungs  and  left  for  dead.  The 
wound  was  dreadful  and  for  two  days  and  nights 
the  wretched  boy  lay  in  a  raging  fever.     He  crawl- 


78  The  Life  of  Frank  and  Jesse  James, 

ed  to  a  place  where  a  man  was  plouging,  who  took 
charge  of  him.  and  finally  sent  him  to  his  brother, 
who  had  gone  to  Nebraska  for  a  season.  One  touch 
of  romance  has  to  be  recorded  here.  The  man  who 
gave  Jesse  James  his  ail-but  fatal  wound  was  John 
E.  Jones,  Company  E.  Second  Wisconsin  Regiment 
of  Cavalry.  The  two  became  acquainted  after- 
wards and  have  been  firm  fast  friends  for  years. 
Sic  Vitce  Est. 


CHAPTER    XII. 

WITH  FRANK  IN  KENTUCKY. 

g,nA.NTREL.L'S     LAST     COMMAND— JOURNEY    INTO     KEN 
TUCKY— COWARDICE   AND    VALOR    AT    HOPKINS^ 
VILLE  —  FRANK   SHOOTS     CAPTAIN    FRANK 
BARNETTE — FEDERAL  TROOPS  EXTER- 
MINATED —  QUANTRELL's    LAST 
FIGHT — THE  GUERRILLAS 
SURRENDER. 

We  have  followed  the  fortunes  of  Jesse  James  in 
his  experiences  in  Texas  as  a  follower  of  George 
Shepherd  in  the  autumn  of  1864  and  the  spring  of 
1865. 

We  must  now  retrace  our  steps  and  call  attention, 
briefly,  to  the  exploits  of  the  elder  brother,  Frank. 
On  the  4th  of  December,  1864,  Quantrell  gathered 
his  last  command  about  him,  and  started  on  his  last 
pilgrimage  of  butchery.  The  old  fire  was  dying 
down,  and  the  fearless  bandit  of  the  hills  was  but  a 
shadow  of  his  former  self.  But  if  the  old  tiger  is 
less  lithe  and  active  its  growl  is  just  as  savage  and 
its  taste  for  blood  as  keen.     Many  of  Quantrall's 

(79) 


80  77?^  Life  of  Frank  and  Jesse  James, 

most  valiant  and  trusted  comrades  had  died  a  death 
as  awful  as  their  lives  had  been  remorseless  and 
cruel.  Quantrell  gathered  about  him  between  thirty 
and  forty  guerrillas,  and  with  Frank  James  as  a  sort 
of  Lieutenant,  the  band  started  for  Kentucky.  The 
Confederate  armies  had  retreated  from  Tvlissouri,  and 
Quantrell  felt  that  Kentucky  v/oiild  afford  a  fairer 
field  for  his  purposes  than  Missouri.  So,  in  the  very 
beginning  of  a  hard  winter  they  left  Wigginton  for 
Kentucky.  They  went  in  the  teeth  of  difficulties  of 
all  sorts.  Raiding  and  pillaging  and  murdering  in 
the  summer  months — when  the  Avoods  form  a  grate- 
ful shelter,  and  the  brushwood  serves  for  a  bed,  and 
the  camp-fire  gleams  romantically — is  one  thing ; 
but  the  pursuit  of  such  a  perilous  career  in  the  teeth 
of  winter  is  another.  And  this  was  not  all.  The 
militiamen  had  sworn  by  every  oath  that  was  bind- 
ing to  have  Quantrell's  life.  It  was  only  a  question 
of  time.  The  dread  warrior's  days  were  numbered. 
It  was  with  difficulty  he  and  his  followers  succeed- 
ed in  getting  out  of  Missouri  alive.  They  were  pur- 
sued hard  by  Captain  Curtis  and  his  troops  on  to  tlie 
Arkansas  line,  but  there  the  trail  Avas  lost,  and  the 
desperadoes  crossed  into  Kentucky.  On  Ncav  Year's 
Day,  1865,  they  crossed  the  Mississippi  River  at 
Pacific  Place,  about  sixteen  miles  above  Memphis. 
They  marched  on  through  Big  Creek.  Covington, 
Tabernack,  Humboldt,  Milan  and  on  to  Paris.  From 
thence  to  Birmingham,  pressing  forward  they 
crossed  the  Tennessee  River  and  went  through  Can- 
ton and  Cadiz  to  a  place  called  Hoi)kinsville.     Here 


With  Frank  in  Kentucky,  81 

they  had  an  adventure  of  some  interest.  Stray  shots 
by  the  way  had  resulted  in  one  or  two  scattered 
murders  per  diem,  but  there  had  been  nothing  to 
satisfy  the  greed  of  a  guerrilla. 

Arrived  at  Hopkinsville  they  found  a  house  in 
which  twelve  cavalrymen  were  taking  their  leisure. 
But  on  the  first  token  of  their  coming,  nine  out  of 
the  twelve  military  heroes  manifested  that  discretion 
which  is  the  better  part  of  valor  and  made  them- 
selves non  est  inventus.  But  the  remaining  three 
determined  to  fight  to  the  bitter  end.  It  was  a  fight 
against  great  odds — three  to  thirty-five.  Three,  but 
poorly  equipped  soldiers  against  thirty-five  merciless 
guerrillas  I  The  gallant  three  blockaded  the  house, 
and  held  out  for  hours  answering  back  the  challenge 
to  surrender  with  such  ammunition  as  they  possessed. 
At  last  Frank  James  told  them  that  if  they  did  not 
surrender  he  should  be  compelled  to  burn  their 
stronghold  ;  and  it  was  not  till  the  house  was  burn* 
ing  about  their  ears  that  these  poor  wretches,  half 
scorched,  half  suffocated,  rushed  through  the  flames 
to  meet  instant  death  from  the  deliberate,  well- 
aimed  shots  of  their  relentless  foes.  They  took  the 
twelve  horses  the  soldiers  had  left,  as  spoils  of  war. 
So  closed  another  day  of  robbery,  fire  and  murder. 
The  chief  spirit  of  this  fray  w^as  Frank  James. 

When  Cardinal  Kichelieu  found  the  lion's  skin  too 
short  for  him  he  tried  the  fox's.  So  Quantrell  when 
force  was  limited  summoned  cunning  to  aid  his 
cruelty.  At  Hartford,  in  Ohio  County,  he  played 
the  role  (4  a  Federal  Captain  and  described  his  band 


82  Tlie  Life  of  Frank  and  Jesse  James, 

as  a  Federal  troop  in  hot  pvirsuit  of  bloodthirsty 
guerrillas.  So  successfully  was  the  deception  car- 
ried out  that  he  thoroughly  imposed  upon  the 
credulity  of  Captain  Frank  Barnette,  the  Captain  of 
a  company  of  Kentucky  Federal  militiamen.  Bar- 
nette and  Quantrell  became  firm  friends,  and  it  was 
not  long  before  Barnette  was  persuaded  by  the  wily 
bandit  to  go  on  an  expedition  to  liunt  for  Confederate 
guerrillas  !  Barnette  and  his  company,  little  dream- 
ing of  the  sad  doom  that  awaited  them,  rode  out 

*'  Into  the  jaws  of  death. 
Into  the  gates  of  hell.'* 

Quantrell  had  given  orders  that  every  man  would 
be  assassinated.  He  had  arranged  the  plan  of 
slaughter.  His  men  were  to  ride  beside  the  Federal 
soldiers  ;  he  was  at  an  opportune  moment  to  draw 
his  pocket-handkerchief  carelessly  from  his  pocket 
and  throw  it  over  his  shoulder.  That  was  to  be  the 
sign  for  slaughter — quick  and  complete.  The  unsus- 
pecting Federals  rode  on  ;  about  five  o'clock  in  the 
afternoon,  just  as  the  winter's  sun  was  sinking  be- 
hind the  Western  hills,  they  reached  a  stream  of 
water  at  a  ford=  The  fatal  sign  vv^as  given.  Quick 
as  thought  Frank  James  sent  a  bullet  through  the 
gallant  heart  of  Captain  Barnette,  who  fell  dead 
from  his  horse  without  a  single  groan,  his  blood 
curdling  in  the  blue  waters  beneath.  Every  man 
shot  his  man,  while  Quantrell  from  a  hollow  ti'ee 
watched  with  fiendish  complacency  the  ruthless 
murder  of  the  whole  Federal  troop. 

It  will  not  be  surprising  that  this  last  dark  deed  of 


WiHi   Ft'dn/.-  ill    Kriiiiickii.  S3 

violence,  in  which  tlie  most  sliameless  treachery 
played  so  large  a  part,  awoke  the  ungovernable 
anger  of  the  Federal  soldiers  wliose  compatriots  in 
arms  had  been  so  mercilessly  destroyed.  Tliey  were 
determined  to  hunt  Quantrell  to  the  death  ;  and  they 
did  not  fail  of  their  purpose.  They  drove  the  wild 
tiger  of  the  black  flag  from  lair  to  lair,  from  hiding- 
place  to  hiding-place  ;  until  at  last  within  a  few  days 
after  the  dastardly  outrage  of  Hartford,  Major 
Bridgewater  and  Captain  Farrell,  with  a  large  Fed- 
eral following,  confronted  Quantrell  and  his  band 
hi  their  last  stronghold.  It  was  Quantrell's  last 
figJit.  Strangely  enough  Frank  James  was  not  in 
thin  last  fray;  he  had  been  away  on  a  visit,  and  was 
not  with  his  chieftain  when  he  fell,  for  which  he 
neA'er  forgave  himself.  The  soldiers  drove  Quantrell 
and  his  now  diminished  band  of  guerrillas  into  a 
village  called  Smiley.  Here,  finding  escape  utterly 
imipossible,  being  hemmed  in  on  every  side,  Quan- 
trell made  his  last  stand.  It  was  an  awful  fight,  a 
fight  intended  to  be  one  of  utter  extermination. 
There  were  three  hundred  against  forty !  Gashed 
and  wounded  and  covered  with  blood  and  dust  Quan- 
trell fought  on,  till  blinded  with  his  own  blood, 
riddled  through  and  through  with  a  score  of  bullets, 
he  fell  at  last  mortally  wounded,  with  an  empty  pis- 
tol in  one  hand  and  a  sword  reeking  with  blood  in 
th<!  other. 

W^  fell  the  scourge  and  curse  of  Missouri.  It  was 
an  awful  scene  !  When  his  comrades  saw  him  fall 
th^y  lost  all  heart.     But  the  soldiers  did  not  rest 


84  Tlie  Life  of  Frank  and  Jesse  James, 

with  the  death  of  the  leader  of  that  murderous  clan. 
The  blood  of  their  slaughtered  comrades  a  few  days 
before  called  for  vengeance,  and  they  killed  every 
follower  of  Quantrell.  It  was  that  day  a  work  of 
utter  annihilation.  Not  a  man  was  left  alive.  Frank 
James  had  to  thank  his  accidental  absence  from  that 
scene  for  his  life.  For  if  he  had  been  there,  a  hun- 
dred guns  would  have  flashed  out  on  him  the  ven- 
geance of  the  foe. 

Quantrell,  though  mortally  wounded,  lingered  for 
a  little  while.  And  before  he  died  Frank  James 
paid  him  a  last  visit.  It  is  said  that,  hard  of  heart 
as  Frank  proved  himself,  he  nevertheless  wept  like 
a  child  by  Quantrell's  dyin^  bed,  and  upbraided 
himself  fur  his  absence  from  that  dreadful  fight : 
half  inclined  to  hope  that  if  he  had  been  there,  some- 
how the  tide  of  battle  would  have  turned.  Quantrell's 
last  words  were  his  wisest.  He  advised  that  all  the 
scattered  members  of  the  guerrilla  forces  should 
range  themselves  under  Henry  Porter's  leadership, 
and  now  that  the  war  was  principally  settled  should 
surrender  to  the  Federal  authorities.  This  was  done. 
And  so  ended  with  the  ghastly  death  of  its  chief  the 
sad  page  of  guerrilla  history. 


CHAPTER    XIII. 

AFTER  THE  WAR  MORE  TROUBLE. 

FRANK  AT  BRANDENBURG— ARRESTED  AS  A  HORSE  THIEF 
— BADLY  WOUNDED — ROBBERY  OF  LIBERTY  BANK 
JESSE  BESIEGED— DEAD  MEN  OUT  IN  THE  SNOW. 

Frank  James  gave  his  parole  at  Samuel's  Depot, 
Nelson  County,  Kentucky,  July  25th  1865.  Yet  he 
did  not  at  once  return  to  his  native  State.  His  part 
in  the  terrible  tragedy  of  Centralia  was  not  forgot- 
ten, and  on  that  account  he  was  still  among  the  pro- 
scribed. He  was  in  point  of  fact  an  exile  from  Mis- 
souri, and  for  some  time  he  lingered  in  Kentucky. 
How  long  he  would  have  continued  there  a  peaceful 
law-abiding  citizen  if  all  things  had  gone  well,  it  is 
hard  to  tell.  Had  he  not  grown  weary  of  that  sad 
unrestful  life?  or  did  the  awful  passion  that  had  so 
long  been  fed  on  slaughter  and  blood  cry  aloud  for 
further  gratification?  Once  pledged  to  such  a  life  as 
he  had  tried,  could  he  easily  reconcile  himself  to  the 
dull  monotony  of  a  peaceful  life?  Circumstances 
helped  largely  to  determine  the  question. 

At  last  the  war  ended.  The  strife  and  carnage 
(85) 


8G  Ihe  hije  of  Frank  and  Jes.m  James. 

that  had  cost  so  big  a  price  in  money  and  in  men 
ceased,  and  men  returned  to  their  old  order  of  life. 
But  it  was  ver}^  speedily  found  that  that  order  could 
only  be  resumed  by  slow  processes.  Four  years  on 
the  battle-field  and  by  the  camp-fire  had  unfitted 
men  to  a  very  great  extent  for  the  pursuits  of  former 
days.  This  is  one  of  the  untabulated  results  of  glo- 
rious war.  But  the  war  had  left  a  darker  legacy 
especially  to  the  Border  States.  A  horde  of  barbar*. 
ous  ghouls  in  human  form  had  followed  ever  upon 
the  skirts  of  the  army;  too  lazy  to  work,  too  cowardly 
to  fight,  they  fattened  upon  the  blood  and  sorrow  of 
the  times.  They  followed  the  army  at  a  safe  dis- 
tance, and  made  a  living  by  robbing  and  plundering 
with  sacrilegous  hand  the  unoffending  and  valiant 
dead.  The  guerillas  were  worthy  only  of  severest 
and  unmeasured  condemnation.  But  these  birds  of 
prey  were  worthy  only  of  every  honest  man's 
supreme  contempt.  The  war  was  over  and  the 
despicable  means  of  their  living  gone,  they  took  to 
theft  and  robbery  and  became  the  thugs  and  high- 
waymen of  the  time.  Their  special  weakness  was 
horse-stealing,  and  all  along  the  borders  of  Kansas, 
Missouri  and  Kentucky,  farmers  and  stock  raisers 
suffered  exceedingly. 

It  was  just  at  this  time  that  Frank  James  was 
passing  from  Nelson  County,  to  Brandenburg  in 
Meade  County  on  the  Ohio  river.  He  was  not  aware 
that  Brandenburg  was  the  favored  redezvous  of 
horse  thieves,  nor  that  a  very  large  number  of  valu- 
able horses  had  just  been  stolen  from  La  Rue.    Such 


J/07'C  Jronble  After  the   War,  87 

however  was  the  case.  The  people  were  up  in  arms 
against  the  thieves,  and  a  number  of  disbanded 
Federals  were  now  busy  chasing  these  idle  robbers. 
Frank  James  alike  ignorant  and  innocent  rode  leis- 
urely into  Brandenburg  and  sought  the  quiet  of  the 
hotel.  He  was  sitting  quietly  in  the  hotel  without 
the  slightest  dream  of  trouble,  when  a  posse  of  four 
men,  with  a  magnificent  giant  of  a  man  at  their 
head  entered.  Whether  they  had  been  informed 
that  Frank  James  the  noted  guerrilla  was  at  the  inn 
is  not  known  The  leader  of  the  company  laid  his 
hand  on  Frank's  shoulder  and  said  mildly  and  half 
pleasantly: 

"I  arrest  you  as  a  horse  thief!" 

Frank  took  in  the  whole  situation  in  a  moment. 
But  moved  no  muscle,  betrayed  no  sign.  He  of 
course  was  not  unarmed.  The  leader  of  the  four 
saw  only  in  his  prisoner  a  young  fellow  of  two  and 
twenty,  a  little  bronzed  and  travel-stained;  there 
was  nothing  to  alarm,  him  in  the  clear  gaze  of 
young  Frank. 

*'You  will  consider  yourself  under  arrest,"  added 
the  speaker. 

"  I  consider  no  such  proposition,"  said  Frank,  and 
as  he  spoke  his  hands  went  to  his  belt  and  before 
tha  arresting  party  as  much  as  noticed  the  move- 
ment, two  of  them  lay  at  Frank's  feet  shot  dead  by 
his  revolvars  that  never  failed  him,  a  third  was 
writhing  in  mortal  agony  and  the  fourth  was  fleeing 
for  his  life.  As  he  fled  however  he  fired  a  parting 
shot,  which  nearly  cost  Frank  his  life.     It  made  a 


88  The  Life  of  Frank  and  Jesse  James. 

terrible  wound  in  his  left  hip,  which  rendered  him 
almost  unable  to  move.  But  his  blood  was  roused. 
The  old  guerrilla  spirit  flamed  up  again.  The  wildest 
excitement  ensued,  there  was  instantly  a  crowd 
gathered  round  the  hotel,  and  the  forms  of  the  men 
bespoke  an  angry  purpose;  but  Frank  ever  dauntless 
crawled  to  a  post  near  at  hand;  and  though  they 
cursed  and  threatened  he  ordered  them  on  peril  of 
their  lives  to  stand  back  and  they  obeyed. 

In  the  midst  of  all  this  excitement,  some  daring 
young  spirit,  who  had  known  Frank  in  other  days, 
dashed  through  the  noisy  crowd  and  half  helped, 
half  dragged  Frank  on  to  his  horse  and  rode  away 
with  him,  and  not  one  of  all  the  valiant  Branden- 
burgers  a"^j tempted  for  one  moment  to  arrest  or  stay 
the  departure,  of  this  man  who  had  wrought  a  trip- 
pie  murder  in  their  sight. 

Frank's  preserver  drove  him  away,  to  a  safe  hid- 
ing pla'je  and  procured  him  the  most  skillful  medical 
assistance.  The  ghastly  wound  brought  him  to  the 
door  of  death,  and  whole  weeks  passed  away  before 
the  doctor  pronounced  him  out  of  danger.  But 
months  of  suffering  followed.  Indeed  years  after, 
Fr/ank  declared  that  he  felt  the  effects  of  the  shot  of 
"  that  damnable  Brandenburger." 

During  his  months  of  enforced  quiet  he  brooded 
over  his  lot  and  felt  that  it  was  utterly  vain  for  him 
to  dream  of  any  peaceful  way  of  life!  The  die  was 
cast .  What  was  the  odds  ?  He  had  had  good  luck 
anc^  bad  luck.     One  thing  was  pretty  clear  to  him, 


More  Trouble  After  the  War.  89 

he  would  have  to  fight  life  out  on  the  line  he  had 
voluntarily  selected. 

But  concerning  the  younger  brother,  Jesse,  how- 
does  he  fare?  We  left  him  last  suffering  from  a 
dangerous  encounter  in  which  he  had  been  shot 
through  his  left  lung.  He  is  suffering  still  and  is 
quietly  resting  in  the  family  home  at  Kearney,  Clay 
County,  Missouri. 

On  the  14tli  of  February,  1866,  while  Frank  was  in 
Kentucky,  still  suffering  from  his  wound  of  the  pre- 
vious July,  a  great  robbery  took  place  at  Liberty, 
Mo. ,  that  aroused  the  greatest  excitement  through 
all  that  western  district.  The  Commercial  Bank  of 
Liberty  was  robbed  of  a  sum  of  money  close  upon 
$70,000.  The  names  of  the  James  boys  were  im- 
mediately connected  with  the  robbery.  And  yet 
there  were  many  who  loudly  declaiming  against 
them  for  their  deeds  of  blood,  still  believed  that 
they  were  honest  men.  Jesse  had  but  recently  re- 
turned from  Nebraska  and  was  still  weak  and  suf- 
fering, and  could  hardly  have  had  any  direct  hand 
in  the  robbery.  Still  the  almost  universal  opinion 
was  that  he  had  planned  the  robbery.  And,  indeed, 
it  was  believed  that  a  good  share  of  the  booty  se- 
cured from  the  bank  found  its  wa}^  to  Frank  and 
Jesse  James.  For  it  is  clear  that  for  a  long  time 
these  brothers  had  had  no  means,  legitimate,  or 
otherwise  of  filling  their  purses.  However  this  may 
be,  a  company  of  men,  who  were  stinging  from  old 
wounds,  determined  to  put  an  end  to  Jessie's  depre- 
dations by  quietly  handing  him  over  to  the  civil 


00  The  Life  of  Frank  and  Jesse  James. 

power.  And  so  four  days  after  the  bank  robbery  at 
Liberty,  they  matured  their  plans.  They  had  nc 
desire  to  kill  Jesse,  only  to  secure  him  and  imprison 
him.  Accordingly  close  on  the  hour  of  midnight  ot 
Feb.  18th,  18GG,  six  well  armed,  well  mounted  militia 
men  rode  up  to  the  home  of  Dr.  Samuels.  Jesse  was 
suffering  from  a  burning  fever  and  was  tossing  from 
side  to  side  when  his  quick  ear  detected  the  sounds 
of  horse's  hoofs  crunching  the  crisp  winter  snow. 
In  a  moment  he  was  on  the  alert.  His  ^^"'^o  trusty 
companions — his  revolvers — were  under  his  pillow 
loaded.  The  heavy  tramp  of  five  men  was  soon 
heard  coming  along  the  piazza,  and  knocking  at  the 
door  with  the  butt  end  of  their  guns,  they  demanded 
immediate  admission. 

Dr.  Samuels  gained  a  little  time  by  parleying  at 
the  door,  telling  these  midnight  visitors  to  *'be  pa- 
tient a  moment,  there  was  something  wrong  with 
the  blamed  lock."  Meantime,  Jesse  looking  through 
the  window  and  taking  in  the  whole  situation, 
crawled  down  to  the  foot  of  the  stairs. 

"What  shall  I  do  ?"  whispered  the  doctor.  "  Open 
the  door  the  moment  I  tell  you,"  Jesse  answered  in 
a  faint  voice,  looking  carefully  at  his  weapons  of 
defense.  The  besiegers  grew  impatient,  and  amid 
muttered  curses  on  the  whole  family,  began  to  beat 
in  the  panels  of  the  door  with  their  guns,  demand- 
ing that  "that  murdering  thief,  Jesse,  should  come 
and  surrender  at  once."  Declaring  they  would  take 
him  either  dead  or  alive.  Jesse  was  ready  with  the 
answer.     But  the  answer  they  got  was  a  fearful  one. 


Mot-e  Trouble  AJier  the   War  01 

The  door  opened,  and,  standing  half  hidden  in  the 
shadow  of  the  doorway,  Jesse  fired  with  unerring- 
precision,  and  two  of  the  company  fell  instantly 
dead,  staining  the  virgin  snow  with  the  crimson  tor- 
rents of  their  heart's  blood. 

Standing  now  full  in  the  doorway,  the  moonlight 
falling  on  his  pale  spectral  face,  he  looked  a  perfect 
wraith  of  slaughter ;  and  before  the  report  of  his 
first  shots  had  fully  died  away,  he  fired  again,  and 
two  more  of  the  squad  fell,  writhing  in  agony  and 
pain.  The  rest  of  that  blustering  blasphemous  com- 
pany fled  to  their  horses  and  rode  away  in  the  moon- 
light, leaving  behind  them  their  dead  and  dying 
comrades.  The  wounded  men  were  spared.  But  it 
was  a  solemn  sight.  The  dead  men  with  pallid  faces 
gazing  stony  gazes,  out  of  sightless  eyes,  at  the 
radiant  moon  and  patient  stars,  the  pure  white  man- 
tel of  the  snow,  stained  and  bedabbled  with  their 
blood  ;  while  the  silence  of  the  night  was  broken  by 
the  discordant  groans  of  the  wounded  !  An  hour 
ago  all  was  qaiet  and  still !  These  dead  men  were 
full  of  life,  boastful  roystering  and  merry.  Their 
roystering  is  over  now  forever.  It  is  quiet  and  still 
again  !  But  it  is  the  quietness  of  a  sleep  in  which 
ihere  is  no  dreaming  and  from  which  there  is  no 
awakening. 

Weak  and  feeble  as  he  was,  Jesse  was  wide 
awake  to  his  peril.  The  escaped  soldiers  would 
bear  the  tidings  of  the  midnight  slaughter  to  the 
people  all  around.  It  would  be  foolish  to  wait  and 
try  conclusions  with  a  largely  augmented  force:  so 


92  The  Life  of  Frank  and  Jesse  James. 

o  esse,  weak  as  he  was,  trembling  from  head  to  foot 
with  fever,  but  not  with  fear,  mounted  his  horse 
and  rode  rapidly  away  in  the  solemn  light  of  the 
mellow  moon. 

The  news  of  this  last  relentless  massacre  spread 
like  wild  fire.  Wearied  and  worn  with  the  fright- 
ful experiences  of  four  years  of  Civil  strife,  the 
Missourians  longed  for  peace.  They  did  not  stop 
to  ask  how  this  last  fray  at  the  Samuels'  homestead 
commenced.  Only  the  dreadful  fact  that  Jesse  had 
killed  and  wounded  four  out  of  six  of  these  soldiers, 
and  had  driven  the  others  away  in  dread  alarm, 
was  present  to  the  minds  of.  the  people  of  the  neigh- 
borhood, A  spirit  of  grave  and  awful  determina- 
tion arose  amongst  them.  Jesse  James  must  die! 
There  had  been  enough  and  more  than  enough  of 
his  wild  depredations.  Life  was  so  insecure,  with 
his  fatal  pistol  always  ready  for  dread  service,  that 
no  one  knew  at  what  moment — without  rhyme  or 
reason — he  might  find  himself  the  target  of  Jesse's 
unerring  aim.  Frank  was  absent.  Where,  they 
knew  not,  nor  cared,  so  that  he  spared  Missouri  the 
shame  and  peril  of  his  presence.  But  here  was 
Jesse;  and  if  of  the  two,  one  was  more  daring, 
more  deliberate,  more  cold-blooded  than  the  other, 
surely  it  was  Jesse.  The  death-sentence  of  the 
younger  of  the  James  brothers  was  recorded  in  the 
fixed  purpose  of  the  men  of  Clay  county;  and,  accord- 
ingly, a  large  crowd,  fifty  strong,  well  armed, 
sought  the  Kearney  farm  and  demanded  that  Jesse 
should  be  delivered  to  them.     They  swore  a  solemn 


More  Trouhti^  A\'h'v  Ihe  Wni\  93 

oath  that  they  would  take  liim,  dead  or  alive,  they 
cared  not  which.  TJiey  had  come  to  take  him,  and 
take  him  they  would.  But  if  they  had  been  fifty 
thousauvl  strong;,  instead  of  fifty,  they  could  not 
have  taken  him,  for  the  very  simple  reason  that  he 
had  thought  it  prudent,  all  things  considered,  to 
retire  to  a  more  salubrious  and  less  excited  district. 

Not  long  ago,  a  lawyer  in  one  of  the  Western 
courts  apologized  for  the  inability  of  his  client  to 
attend  the  summons  of  the  court.  ^^  Judge,"  said 
he,  "I  am  very  sorry  my  client  cannot  attend  the 
court,  but  I  have  eighteen  valid  reasons  to  present 
for  his  non-attendance,  each  one  of  which,  I  am 
sure,  will  be  a  sufficient  and  valid  excuse.  If  the 
court  please  I  will  proceed." 

''  Proceed,"  said  the  Judge. 

*'  In  the  first  place,  your  Honor,"  said  the  indefat- 
igible  lawyer,  "I  very  much  regret  to  say  that  my 
client  is  dead!" 

^' The  worthy  and  learned  Counsel  need  proceed 
no  further,"  said  the  Judge;  ^' the  first  reason  satis- 
fies the  court,  we  will  waive  the  other  seventeen." 

So  the  hunt  was  up  for  Jesse  James,  but  it  was 
all  in  vain.  All  the  most  solemn  asservations  of 
Dr.  Samuels  were  regarded  as  so  many  subterfuges 
to  gain  him.  The  woods,  the  farms,  the  barns,  the 
stibles,  all  were  searched,  but  searched  in  vain 

*'  They  could  not  find  young  Jesse, 
For  young  Jesse  was  not  there." 


OH  A  P  TEE   XIV. 

THE  MARK  OF  CAIN!— "WE'VE  GOT  THE  NAME  WE'f.ii 
HAVE  THE  GAME." 

FRANK  AND  JESSE  IN  KENTUCKY — THE    HEROES   OF  THE 

HOUR — ''  NONE     BUT     THE     BR4VE     DESERVE     THE 

fair" — WILL     MURDERERS    TURN    ROBBERS?— 

INACTION  INTOLERABLE. 

The  tragedy  at  Brandenburg  and  this  last  fray  of 
Jesse's  did  much  to  settle  the  future  of  the  James 
Brothers.  However  much  they  might  be  disposed 
to  return  to  a  quiet  life,  circumstances  seemed  all 
against  them.  If  they  did  not  bear  visibly  the  mark 
of  Cain  upon  their  foreheads,  they  were  nevertheless 
marked,  and  noted  and  distrusted.  They  had  dab- 
bled too  freely  in  human  blood,  they  had  been  too 
utterly  reckless  in  their  wild  exploits  to  win  any- 
thing like  confidence.  Men  and  woman  everywhere 
were  as  much  afraid  of  them  as  they  were  ashamed 
of  them.  And  the  general  belief  was  that  these 
awful  fires  that  burned  in  the  hearts  of  the  young 
bandits  were  by  no  means  quenched.  Only  smoth- 
ered for  a  time,   and  that  at  the  very  fisst  excuse 

(94) 


The  Mark  of  Cain.  95 

they  would  flame  up  again  blood  red.  So  it  came  to 
pass  that  anything  that  occurred  of  an  unusually  des- 
perate character,  was  quietly  and  without  much 
enquiry  laid  to  the  door  of  Frank  and  Jesse  James. 
They  had  won  such  a  reputation  that  nothing  they 
could  do  was  thought  to  be  worse  than  they  had  done. 
So  that  horses  are  stolen  at  La  Rue,  or  a  bank  is  rob- 
bed at  Liberty,  then  of  course  Frank  is  a  horse-thiet 
and  Jesse  ia»a  bank-robber.  And  they  are  at  once  con- 
demned in  the  public  mind  without  judge  or  jury  or 
any  very  long  consideration.  One  need  not  wonder 
very  much  then  that  talking  the  whole  matter  over 
one  day,  Jesse  ever  the  more  talkative  of  the  two, 
would  break  forth  with  this  piece  of  fool's  philoso- 
phy:    "See  Frank,  its  no  use  fighting  against  all 

this  d d  prejudice,  we've  got  the  name  anyhow, 

we  might  as  well  have  the  game  and  the  name,  as 
the  name  ivithout  the  game." 

*^A11  right"  said  Frank  in  his  usual  surly  manner, 
"go  ahead  and  the  devil  take  the  hindermost." 

The  pistol  shots  at  Lexington  and  Brandensburg 
had  very  seriously  wounded  both  the  robbers.  Frank 
had  to  stay  for  some  time  with  friends  in  Kentucky. 
After  the  eventful  moonlight  night  at  Kearney, 
Jesse  made  his  way  slowly  and  most  stealthily  to 
Nelson  County,  Kentucky.  There  he  found  Frank 
suff ering»intensely  from  the  effects  of  his  hip  wound. 
He  was  scarcely  able,  even  with  the  aid  of  a  crutch, 
to  walk  more  than  half  a  mile  without  the  most  in- 
tense fatigue,  while  riding  on  horseback  was  alto- 
gether out  of  the  question.  Jesse's  long  and  perilous 


96  Hie  Life  of  Frank  and  Jesse  James. 

ride  from  Kearney  had  been  exceedingly  trying. 
What  with  frequent  hemorrhages  of  the  lungs  and  a 
fever  still  raging,  it  is  a  wonder  he  reached  Chaplin, 
— the  place  of  his  brother's  retreat — alive.  As  the 
summer  of  18G7  went  on,  Jesse  grew  worse  and 
worse.  He  determined  to  put  himself  under  the  best 
surgical  care.  For  he  who  had  been  so  reckless  of 
the  lives  of  others  was  chary  of  his  own.  In  October, 
1867,  he  went  to  Nashville,  Tennesee,  amd  put  him- 
self under  the  care  of  Dr.  Paul  F.  Eve,  a  noted  sur- 
geon of  that  city.  He  was  here  for  months,  and 
many  a  time  despaired  of  his  life.  It  was  not  till 
early  in  the  following  year,  1868,  that  Jesse  became 
thoroughly  convalescent.  He  returned  to  Chaplin 
and  rejoined  Frank. 

These  brothers  had  many  friends  and  relations  in 
Kentucky;  not  a  few  of  whom,  notwithstanding  they 
were  outlaws,  and  justly  so,  still  had  a  warm  place 
in  their  hearts  for  the  daring  boys.  Moreover,  there 
Nvere  in  Kentucky  many  of  the  earlier  comrades  of 
the  stormy  times,  who  would  gladly  share  all  they 
had  with  the  suffering  compatriots  of  Quantrell. 
There  were  many  homes  where,  in  the  closing  days 
of  the  war,  Quantrell,  Magruder,  Marion,  Sue 
Munde  and  others  of  the  bold  guerrillas  were 
feasted  in  unbounded  luxuriance.  The  Southern 
cause  was  lost,  but  Southern  pride  remained  un- 
broken. Many  of  the  Kentucky  families  had  lost 
their  noblest  and  best  at  the  hands  of  the  Federals, 
and  they  found  some  sort  of  grim  revenge  in  giving 
home  and  welcome  to  these  young  men  who  had 


The  Mark  of  Cain.  97 

never  once  missed  an  opportunity  of  hurling  death 
nito  the  Northern  I'anks.  Frank  and  Jesse  were 
tue  heroes  of  the  liour,  and  in  the  homes  of  the  Mc- 
Claskeys,  and  the  Russels,  and  the  Sayers,  they 
were  hailed  as  the  most  honored  guests;  and  they 
did  not  lack  the  smiles  of  beauty,  for  fair  and  grace- 
ful ladies  vied  with  each  other  in  their  constant 
attentions  to  tlie  bold  boys  of  the  border.  Hosts  of 
fair  Kentuckians,  who  during  the  war  had  become 
thoroughly  interested  in  the  issues  at  stake,  and 
were  such  enthusiasts  as  to  see  nothing  noble  and 
nothing  valorous  save  in  the  Confederate  ranks, 
and  those  who  aided  the  Southern  cause,  may  be 
excused  if  they  were  ready  with  gentle  hands  to 
bind  the  bay  leaves  and  the  laurel  crown,  about  the 
brows  of  those  who  had  won  the  reputation  of 
having  killed  more  of  the  ^'accursed  Federal  foes'^ 
than  any  hundred  soldiers  in  the  fields  of  battle. 
Women  generally  dote  on  the  military.  A  red  coat 
is  the  heraldic  sign  of  highest  glory.  Most  of  them, 
if  invited  to  a  military  ball  or  heaven,  would  take 
their  risks  on  heaven  and  accept  the  invitation  to 
the  bail;  and  so  it  came  to  pass  that  maidens  and 
matrons  of  Kentucky  bestowed  their  sweetest  smiles 
and  their  compliments  on  the  brave  and  daijing 
troopers  who  had  followed  the  fallen  standard  in 
irregular  warfare,  hurling  death  and  defiance  at  the 
Federal  hordes. 

Summering  in  the  smiles  of  these  fair  flatterers, 
Frank  and  Jesse  would  sometimes  declare  them- 
selves overcome  with  gratitude,  and  protest  that 


f)S  The  Life  of  Frank  and  Jesse  James. 

they  w(i;re  not  worthy  of  these  charming  attentions, 
to  which  modest  protest  the  fair  ladies  of  Kentucky 
had  ever  the  one  answer: 

"  None  but  the  brave  deserve  the  fair." 

But  the  one  question  in  many  forms  was  present 
to  the  minds  of  Frank  and  Jesse,  and  if  Frank 
spoke  of  it  less  frequently  than  Jesse  it  was  not 
because  he  thought  less  of  it.  What  was  their  future 
to  be?  The  gateways  of  ordinary  careers  were 
closed  against  them;  and  beside  all  this,  they  began 
more  and  more  to  realize  the  terrible  strain  of  in- 
action. Resting  quietly  upon  your  oars  is  all  very 
well  for  a  little  time,  but  to  an  active,  energetic 
mind  enforced  inaction  is  terrible  to  endure.  What 
was  to  be  done?  The  war  was  over,  there  was  no 
military  occupation  for  them.  Besides,  they  were 
the  followers  of  a  fallen  cause.  Slowly,  but  surely, 
there  dawned  upon  them  the  possible  career  of 
plunder.  Should  the  murderers  turn  robbers?  They 
never  asked  this  question  boldly  and  plainly,  but  in 
some  shape  or  another,  vaguely,  but  not  less  cer- 
tainly, ttie  question  was  pressing  itself  home  upon 
them.  Many  of  the  friends  of  Jesse  James,  while 
they  would  not  openly  aver  that  he  was  concerned 
in^the  Liberty  bank  robbery,  did  not  scruple  to  hint 
that  some  of  the  funds  of  that  bank  were  sustaining 
both  the  brothers  during  their  prolonged  and  peril- 
ous sickness.  Should  they  start  forth  on  a  career 
of  plunder?  Up  to  this  time  their  characters  for 
honesty  had  never  been  impeached.  Indeed,  many 
of  the  bitterest  foes  of  the  James  Brothers  held 


The  Mark  of  Cain,  99 

ihem  in  a  kind  of  respect.  At  least  they  had  uni- 
versal credit  for  these  three  points  of  character: 
All  Missouri  said  that  the  James  were:  First,  as 
true  as  steel  to  their  friends  and  comrades;  next, 
they  were  always  courteous  and  respectful  to 
women;  and  lastly,  they  were  as  honest  as  the  day. 
Were  they  to  throw  away  this  last  clause  of  char- 
acter? Were  the  murderers  to  become  robbers? 
That  was  the  question. 


CHAPTEE  XV. 

EX-GUERRILLAS  IN  KENTUCKY. 

DICK     KINNEY'S  PISTOL — THE     ROBBERY    OF    RUSSEL- 

VILLE    BANK  — $100,000   HAUL— WHO    DID    THE 

ROBBING  ?  —  DESPERATE    HUNT    FOR    THE 

RAIDERS — OLIVER    SHEPHERD   SHOT 

DEAD — FRANK  AND  JESSE  OFF 

TO  THE   C40LDEN   GATE. 

What  is  to  be  done  with  the  disbanded  soldiers 
after  the  war?  That  question  has  been  one  of  most 
difficult  solution  in  all  civilized  lands  in  modern 
times.  To  gather  great  crowds  of  men  to  go  out  and 
fight  the  battles  of  a  nation  has  never  been  so  diffi- 
cult as  to  know  what  to  do  with  them  when  the  war 
is  over.  And  the  longer  the  war  lasts  the  more  com- 
plicated and  difficult  the  question  becomes.  There 
can  be  no  doubt  a  prolonged  engagement  in  the  pro- 
fession of  arms  utterly  unfits  men  for  the  hum-drum 
and  monotony  of  ordinary  life.  A  feverish  restless- 
ness is  begotten  that  experience  proves  is  very  hard 
to  allay.  To  keep,  as  a  permanent  institution,  a 
large  standing  army  does  very  little,  if  anything,  to 
mitigate  the  state  of  things;  for  in  all  the  large 

(100) 


Ex-Guerrillas  in  Kentucky.  101 

towns  and  cities  of  Europe  tnere  seems  to  oe  a  grow- 
ing" dislike  to  having  these  towns  and  cities  turned 
into  military  centres.  It  is  not  only  the  voice  of 
prudish  sentiment,  but  the  voice  of  repeated  and 
undeniable  facts,  that  declares  a  residence  in  a  bar- 
racks town  to  be  most  undesirable.  Put  the  thing 
in  the  most  favorable  light  possible,  it  cannot  but  be 
a  perilous  experiment  to  hold  great  companies  of 
single  men  in  almost  entire  idleness;  for  though  the 
adage  is  a  child's  adage,  it  is  an  adage  for  men  and 
women  as  well  as  children: 

* 'Satan  finds  some  mischief  still 
For  idle  hands  to  do." 

America  had  her  share  of  this  difficulty  at  the  close 
of  the  war.  Both  North  and  South  felt  the  position 
keenly.  Four  years  in  the  camp  and  the  field,  if  they 
had  not  served  to  utterly  demoralize  the  soldiery, 
had  at  least  unfitted  most  of  them  for  the  farm  and 
the  factory  and  the  store.  But  this  was  not  the 
worst.  As  has  been  said  before,  there  constantly 
hung  about  the  skirts  of  both  armies  a  most  undesir- 
able following  of  those  who  preferred  pillage  and 
plunder  to  either  fighting  or  work.  And,  beside  all 
these,  there  were  scattered  up  and  down  the  border 
States  great  numbers  of  those  who  in  Quantrell's 
palmy  days  had  followed  the  fortunes  of  guerrilla 
warfare. 

In  Tennessee,  Arkansas,  Missouri,  and  especially 
in  Kentucky,  where  Frank  and  Jesse  had  so  long 
found  an  asylum,  there  were  many  of  the  ex  guer- 


102        The  Life  of  Frank  and  Jesse  James, 

rillas  still  living,  and  it  only  needed  some  little  wind 
of  circumstance  to  blow,  and  they  were  ready  to  turn 
back  to  the  old  exciting  life  of  peril  and  romance. 
Indeed,  they  began  to  think  there  was  nothing  else 
before  them.  They  were  unfitted  for  a  quiet  life, 
and  all  the  doors  that  opened  to  honest,  peaceful  av- 
ocations were  closed  against  them,  and  guarded  by 
prejudice  and  distrust.  What  was  to  be  done?  Dick 
Kinney  had  bequeathed  his  pistol  to  Frank  James. 
On  this  pistol  there  were  forty-eight  notches,  a 
ghastly  record  of  those  who  had  fallen  victims  to  its 
deadly  fire.  It  was  treasured  by  Frank  as  a  trophy 
and  sometimes  he  thought  that  so  faithful  and  true 
a  weapon  ought  not  to  lie  any  longer  in  inglorious 
rest.  The  dumb  and  unused  messenger  of  death  re- 
buked iiis  apathy  and  it  needed  but  very  little  to 
wake  the  old  guerrilla  fire  within  him.  To  what 
extent  Frank  and  Jesse  and  their  friends  had  become 
organized  is  not  known.  For  a  time,  at  least,  they 
were  forming  plans  in  secret.  At  last  the  Western 
world  became  aware  that  they  had  not  been  wholly 
inactive.  The  sense  of  security  which  was  spreading 
throughout  the  country  was  most  suddenly  dis- 
turbed. 

Russelville — the  next  scene  of  their  exploits — is  a 
pleasant  little  village  of  three  to  four  thousand  in- 
habitants. It  is  most  pleasantly  situated  in  Logan 
County,  on  the  southern  frontier — adjoining  Tenne- 
see.  It  is  quite  a  centre  of  a  large,  thriving  agricul- 
tural district.  And  its  bank  became  inconsequence 
the  depository  of  a  good  deal  of  wealth.    The  spring 


Ex-Gue^i'illas  in  Kentucky.  103 

time  of  18G8  was  a  favorable  time  for  the  farmers  of 
that  western  region.  The  roads  were  in  excellent 
condition,  so  that  there  was  no  difficulty  in  the  car- 
rying of  produce  to  the  markets.  So  the  bank  of 
Russelvilie  was  doing  a  thriving  business,  which  fact 
was  not  unknown  to  those  whose  depredations  are 
now  to  be  recorded. 

It  was  G*  beautiful  spring  morning,  March  20th, 
18G8.  There  seemed  nothing  unusual  in  the  sleeply 
old  village  with  its  long  struggling  street  that 
spring  morning,  save  as  the  sleepiest  of  villages 
will  bear  the  impress  of  a  rarer  beauty  in  the  early 
days  of  spring.  The  music  of  the  school  bell  had 
just  ceased,  to  be  taken  up  in  ringing  tones  by  the 
black  smith's  merry  anvil.  By  twos  and  threes  the 
women  stood  at  their  doors  enjoying  the  usual 
mornmg  gossip;  the  old  men  hobbled  about  and 
declared  it  as  fine  a  spring  as  they  had  seen  in 
"forty  years;"  and  the  radiant  maiden  looked  still 
more  radiant  as  she  caught  a  sweet  smile  from  the 
young  clerk  as  be  passed  on  his  way  to  the  store, 
and  thought  of  that  verse  from  the  poet  which  he 
had  quoted  so  touchingly  last  night: 
"  lu  the  spring  a  livelier  iris 

Comes  upon  the  burnished  dove; 
In  the  spring  a  young  man's  fancy- 
Gently  turns  to  thoughts  of  love.' 

The  stores  were  open  and  the  stope-dealers  were 
beginning  their  business  for  the  day.  Now  and  then 
a  rumbling  wagon,  Cv^rn  laden  creaked  along  the 
t^uiet  street.    The  bank^was  just  about  to  open  its 


104        The  Life  of  Frank  and\  Jesse  James, 

doors,  when  suddenly  a  clatter  of  hoofs  was  heard. 
Sharp,  quick  and  terrible  as  the  crash  of  doom,  a 
dozen  horsemen  each  armed  with  two  pairs  of  revol- 
vers dashed  down  the  street  to  the  terror  and  amaze- 
ment of  the  quiet  villagers.  With  the  most  fearful 
oaths  and  threatenings  these  armed  brigands  com^ 
manded  the  people  to  gr  into  their  houses  and  keep 
quiet  on  pain  of  instant  death,  and  to  confirm  their 
purpose  they  fired  in  all  directions.  Two  of  the  men, 
of  whom  there  can  be  no  reasonable  doubt  that 
Jesse  James  was  one  and  Cole  Younger  the  other, 
dismounted  at  the  bank  and  entered.  The  cashier 
had  opened  the  safe  and  the  books  were  out  on  the 
counters,  and  a  quantity  of  gold  was  spread  out 
Defore  the  cashier  which  he  was  then  in  the  act  of 
counting.  The  sudden  entrance  of  these  armed  men 
astonished  him  for  a  moment,  he  turned  at  once  to 
the  safe  and  was  in  the  act  of  swinging  back  the 
door  when  Jesse  James  said: 

"  Leave  that  alone  and  keep  quiet,  or  I'll  blow 
your  brains  out." 

What  could  the  cashier  do  with  such  a  threat  in 
his  ears,  supported  as  it  was  by  the  loaded  revolvers 
too  close  to  said  brains  to  be  pleasant.  The  cashier 
setting  a  higher  value  on  nis  life  then  all  the  gold  in 
the  safe  kept  quiet,  and  the  safe  was  rifled,  the  loose 
gold  on  the  counter  was  swept  off  by  Cole  Younger. 
Everything  of  value  was  taken  away  except  a  few 
revenue  and  postage  stamps.  These  the  robbers 
thought  hardly  worth  the  trouble  of  taking,  and  so 
Jesse,  to  whom  a  joke  was  never  untimely,  tossed 


Ex-Guerrillas  in  Kentucky.  105 

back  the  stamps  remarking  to  the  affrighted  cashier 
that  he  *' might  want  to  mail  letters  latter  in  the 
day!" 

The  booty  secured  the  robbers  departed  as  they 
came  cursing  and  threatening  instant  death  to  any 
who  dared  to  follow.  They  swept  into  Russelville 
like  a  tornado  they  swept  out  like  a  whirlwind!  The 
surprised  and  stunned  inhabitants  were  perfectly 
helpless  against  the  wild  daring  of  the  adventurers. 
The  completeness  and  simplicity  of  their  plans,  and 
above  all  the  speed  and  promptitude  with  which 
those  plans  were  executed,  left  the  men  and  women 
of  Russelville  standing  agaze  at  one  another,  ready 
almost  to  ask  if  those  things  had  really  transpired; 
or  if  they  had  some  horrid  nightmare!  and  they 
seemed  as  ill-fitted  to  pursue  the  robbers  as  they  had 
been  incapable  of  resisting  the  plunder.  No  one 
blamed  the  cashier  of  the  bank.  He  was  thoroughly 
helpless.  The  safe  was  open,  and  all  he  could  have 
done  would  have  been  to  throw  away  his  life  with- 
out saving  a  penny  to  the  bank.  The  amount  stolen 
has  been  variously  estimated.  But  all  told  there 
could  not  have  been  much  less  than  $100,000,  which 
sum  divided  between  ten  men  would  make  a  pretty 
considerable  fortune  for  each  man. 

The  friends  of  the  James  boys  have  made  very 
strenuous  efforts  to  clear  them  of  complicity  in  this 
deed  of  plunder.  But  however  they  may  have  suc- 
ceeded in  making  out  a  case  in  defense  of  Frank, 
whom  they  declare  to  have  been  in  Nelson  County^ 
Kentucky  still  suft^ering  terribly  from  his  wound; 


106        The  Life  of  Frank  and  Jesse  James. 

they  were  not  as  successfi  ni  their  defejice  of  Jesse. 
Jesse  himself  attempted  o  orove  an  alibi.  But  if 
he  had  been  at  the  Marshall  House,  Chaplin  on  the 
18th  of  the  month,  there  would  ha^^b  been  no  great 
difficulty  in  his  reaching  the  sceiie  v,'  the  robbery  in 
ample  time.  For  he  rode  only  th^^  rastest  horses  and 
as  we  have  seen  it  was  no  uncommon  thing  for  him 
to  ride  fifty  miles  on  horseback  in  the  space  of  six 
hours.  There  can  be  little  doubt  that  the  leaders  of 
that  raid  were  Jesse  James,  Cole  \ounger.  Jim 
Wliite,  George  and  Oil.  Shephard.  A.iii!  it  Frank 
James  had  no  active  part  in  the  robber>  ,  (le  proba- 
bly had  his  share, and  a  very  good  share  h^  arranging 
and  planning  the  whole  affair. 

After  the  first  surprise  of  the  daring  robbers  hai 
passed  away  it  was  resolved  to  make  a  most  deter 
mined  and  exhaustive  pursuit.  The  robbery  so  bare 
faced  and  impudent  was  only  one  of  many  tha 
would  follow  if  this  kind  of  thing  was  unchecketl. 
The  fact  that  murder  had  not  been  added  to  robber^ 
was  owing  rather  to  the  paralysis  that  struck  the 
astounded  villagers  than  to  the  mercy  of  the  rob- 
bers, and  now  thoroughly  aroused  it  was  resolved  to 
rid  the  region  once  and  forever  of  these  robber- 
bands. 

The  pursuit  was  long,  untiring,  but  fruitless.  The 
blood  of  the  Kentuckians  was  up,  but  it  was  all  in 
vain.  They  followed  the  scent  with  utmost  care, 
but  the  foxes  were  always  ahead  I  Over  the  Cum- 
berland river,  through  the  wild  rocky  region  thai 
leads  to  the  border  line  of  Tennessee,  thence  to  tht? 


Ex-Guerrillas  in  Kentucky.  10? 

wide  waters  of  the  Mississippi,  but  all  in  vain!  The 
robbers  eluded  their  grasp!  They  had  plunged  into 
the  trackless  paths  of  Southeast  Missouri.  The 
pursuers  took  up  the  trail  and  pressed  unweariedl> 
through  swamp  and  morass.  The  scent  became 
fainter  and  fainter,  till  at  last  utterly  worn  out  anc^ 
dispirited  they  returned  home,  their  expedition 
having  utterly  failed.  George  Shepherd,  however, 
was  subsequently  arrested,  he  was  convicted  an(? 
sent  to  the  penitentiary  for  a  term  of  years. 

Only  one  other  member  of  that  robber  gang  was 
ever  found,  and  that  was  Oil  Shepherd.  He  was* 
found  in  Jackson  County,  Missouri.  A  warrant  for 
arrest  was  issued,  but  Oil  declared  he  would  nevei" 
be  arrested.  A  body  of  from  twelve  to  tw^enty  men 
were  detailed  for  his  arrest.  They  surrounded  him, 
well  armed,  and  called  out  to  him: 

*' Surrender,  or  die!  Which  shall  it  be?  Will  you 
surrender?" 

'*  Never!  Death  before  surrender,  a  thousand 
times!  Do  your  worst!"  shouted  the  valiant  old 
guerrilla. 

Then  the  aAvful  work  began,  shots  came  thick  and 
fast.  It  could  only  be  a  question  of  a  little  time, 
but  Oil  Shepherd  fought  to  the  last.  He  stood  with 
his  back  to  a  tree  and  emptied  his  revolver,  firing 
fourteen  shots  in  wild  despair.  At  last  he  reeled 
and  staggered,  but  it  was  not  till  his  body  had  re- 
ceived seven  bullets  that  he  fell;  fell  like  the  old 
Greek  warrior  fighting  with  death  to  the  last! 

Every  other  member  of  that  robber-band    that 


108        The  Life  of  Frank  and  Jesse  James, 

wrought  such  consternation    in   Russellville    that 
bright  spring  morning,  escaped. 

The  James  boys  parted  company  for  a  while,  but 
they  both  set  their  faces  toward  the  golden  gate. 
They  met  in  that  "  glorious  climate  of  California/* 
wither  we  next  follow  chem  and  their  shifting  for- 


CHAPTER    XVI. 

OUT  IN  THE  GOLDEN  WEST. 

OUT  IN  THE  GOLDEN  WEST  !— JESSE  SAILS  FOR  CALIFOS-^ 
NIA — FRANK  JOURNEYS   WEST-WARD — THE  BROTH- 
ERS  MEET — QUIET   LIFE   IN   PASO   ROBEL — 
PLEASANT  DAYS  IN  THE    SIERRAS — 
SHAKING  UP  THE  ENCAMPMENT 
OF  BATTLE  MOUNTAIN — A 
FATAL    GAME  AND    A 
FEARFUL  NIGHT. 

Shortly  after  the  robbery  of  the  Russelville  bank, 
Jesse  James  was  back  again  at  Kearney  in  Clay 
County.  Romantic  stories  are  told  of  the  marvelous 
manner  in  which  he  pioneered  the  robbers  from  Rus- 
selville through  the  hilly  regions  of  Kentucky,  never 
resting  till  he  reached  the  banks  of  the  Mississippi. 
That  march  of  more  than  five  hundred  miles,  made 
still  longer  by  the  many  necessary  detours,  was  full 
of  hair-breadth  'scapes  and  perils,  and  the  wonder  is 
that  the  robbers  were  able  so  successfully  to  evade 
their  pursuers.  But  Jesse's  guerilla  experience  had 
made  him  as  cu  fining  in  ambush,  and  as  skilful  as  a 

(109) 


110        Ihe  Life  of  Frank  and  Jesse  James, 

guide,  as  he  Avas  brave  in  battle  and  dauntless  in 
peril.  The  story  of  that  one  prolonged  flight  from 
Russelville  to  Missouri's  western  border  is  a  com- 
plete romance  in  itself.  The  stolen  marches  under 
the  cover  of  the  starry  night,  the  patient  waiting  in 
ambush  while  their  pursuers  were  so  near,  that  their 
breath  seemed  almost  to  blow  hot  upon  their  cheeks, 
the  daring  sallies  when  everything  was  staked  upon 
a  single  chance.  The  conduct  of  Jesse  James  in  that 
long  ride  for  life  would  have  made  him  a  hero  in  any 
other  cause,  and  those  wiiom  he  piloted  to  safety 
thought  him  a  real  hero,  whatever  the  world  might 
say. 

Jesse's  physical  endurance  was  something  won- 
derful. He  had  received  twice  through  the  lungs 
bullets  that  had  left  great  gaping  wounds  that  would 
have  been  fatal  to  any  ordinary  man.  He  bore  upon 
his  body  the  scars  of  more  than  twenty  wounds. 
And  yet  he  was  but  in  the  very  morning  of  his  daysl 
Not  twenty-four  !  And  yet  he  had  gone  through, 
and  dared,  and  endured  more  than  many  a  veteran 
through  a  long  career  of  Avarlike  experiences.  He 
seemed  to  have  been  cast  in  an  iron  mould,  but  there 
were  limitations  to  his  strength,  and  his  friends  urged 
him  to  a  time  of  quiet.  Dr.  Joseph  Wood,  of  Kansas 
City,  advised  that  he  should  take  a  sea  voyage  and 
seek  some  warmer  climate  Avhere  his  shattered  lung 
might  have  an  opportunity  of  healing. 

In  accordance  Avith  this  advice,  he  left  the  hom« 
of  his  childhood  in  the  month  of  May,  ISGO,  with 
many  misgivings  that  he  might  never  see  it  again. 


Out  in  the  Golden   WesV  111 

And,  though  not  overburdened  with  sentiment,  we 
can  well  understand  that  he  looked  with  a  fond  lin- 
gering look  as  he  bade  farewell— it  might  be  forever 
—to  the  hills  and  vales  of  his  native  Missouri.  It 
was  the  home  of  his  childhood  and  youth.  What 
there  had  been  of  gentleness  in  those  bye-gone  days 
was  associated  with  these  scenes.  It  had  been  more- 
over the  theatre  of  many  daring  exploits  and  peril- 
ous adventures.  There  he  and  his  brother  Frank 
had  won  names  that  some  counted  heroic,  while  the 
great  majority  spoke  only  of  them  with  dread  and 
horror.  For  good  or  ill,  for  life  or  death,  he  was  leav- 
ing his  early  home.  And  he  left  it  with  a  sigh.  He 
was  badly  wounded,  and  he  was  suffering  enough 
to  make  him  thoughtful.  Besides,  his  very  going 
away  at  all  was  a  recognition  of  the  fact  that  he 
was  in  a  critical  position. 

He  journeyed  as  far  as  New  York,  where  he  spent 
a  few  days  with  friends  of  the  old  stormy  times,  for 
the  James  boys  had  friends  everywhere.  On  the 
8th  of  June,  1869,  he  set  sail  for  Panama  on  board 
the  Santiago  de  Cuba.  From  Panama  he  took  an- 
other ship,  and  at  last,  after  a  pleasant  and  helpful 
voyage,  he  reaches  the  *'City  of  the  Golden  Gate." 

In  the  meantime  Frank  had  been  hiding  away  in 
the  house  of  a  most  respectable  citizen  in  Nelson 
County,  Kentucky.  A  few  weeks  after  the  Russel- 
ville  fray,  and  when  the  excitement  had  quieted 
down,  the  friends  of  Frank  deemed  it  best  that  he 
should  absent  himself  from  that  region.  He  was  still 
suffering  from  his  wounded  hip.     And,  as  it  is  al- 


112        Tlie  Life  of  Frank  and  Jesse  James. 

leged,  the  funds  of  the  Russelville  bank  had  placed 
the  boys  in  possession  of  a  good  round  sum  of  mone^, 
there  was  no  reason  why  they  should  not  enjoy  a 
good  long  spell  of  quiet.  One  dark  night  Frank  was 
driven  in  a  close  carriage  from  Nelson,  through 
Smithville  and  Mount  Washington,  to  Louisville. 
Here  he  rested  awhile.  A  few  days  later  the  register 
of  the  ''Southern  Hotel,"  St.  Louis,  bore  the  inscrip- 
tion ''F.  C.  Markland,  Kentucky."  Mr.  Markland, 
whoever  he  was,  was  very  cordially  and  warmly 
greeted  by  a  group  of  men  who  were  not  unknown 
in  the  neighborhood,  and  who  had  a  certain  sort  of 
notoriety  as  having  once  belonged  to  QuantrelFs 
daring  band.  The  group  of  old-time  companions 
spent  a  few  pleasant  days  on  the  banks  of  the  Mis- 
sissippi, after  which  Mr.  ''F.  C.  Markland"  (who,  of 
course,  w^as  none  other  than  Frank  James)  journeyed 
as  far  as  Kansas  City,  where  he  met  his  mother  at 
the  house  of  a  relative,  and  from  this  point  he  went 
to  San  Francisco,  arriving  there  in  advance  of  Jesse. 
It  had  been  given  out  that  Frank  was  going  to  sail 
to  California,  but  that  was  probably  only  a  ruse  to 
put  his  enemies  on  the  wrong  track. 

Frank  and  Jesse  met  at  last  at  the  home  of  their 
uncle,  Mr.  D.  W.  James,  who  was  then  proprietor 
of  the  Paso  Rebel  Hot  Sulphur  Springs.  Here  the 
brothers  spent  a  calm  and  peaceful  life  for  months. 
No  one  could  have  imagined  that  these  two  quiet, 
amiable  young  men  had  made  at  least  three  States 
of  the  Union  tremble  with  the  terror  of  their  names. 
They  could  be  most  gentlemanly  and  polite.     And  if 


Out  in  the  Golden  West.  113 

Frank  created  the  impression  by  his  reticence  that 
he  was  one  of  the  most  retiring  of  young  men,  Jesse 
won  for  himself  golden  opinions  on  account  of  his 
kindly,  genial  disposition.  Through  the  whole  of 
that  summer  of  18G9  the  brothers  lived  without  a 
single  adventure,  save  the  very  desirable  change 
from  weakness  to  robust  health.  Frank's  hip  grew 
strong,  Jesse's  lung  yielded  to  the  kindly  influences 
of  the  beautiful  climate,  and  before  the  autumn  sun 
had  touched  the  far-spreading  woodlands  with  tints 
and  hues  of  golden  splendors,  the  young  men  who 
came  to  Pass  Rebel  broken-down  and  emaciated 
were  as  strong  and  robust  as  ever.  And  with  re- 
turning health  and  vigor  came  back  the  old  spirit  of 
daring  and  wild  adventure.  Whatever  firm  resolves 
they  made  in  the  day  of  their  weakness  as  to  a  quiet 
honest  life  for  the  future,  these  resolves  began  to 
weaken  with  their  increasing  strength.  It  was  the 
old  story: 

"When  the  devil  was  sick, 

The  devil  a  saint  would  be; 
When  the  devil  gi-ew  well, 

The  devil  a  saint  was  he." 

Moreover,  it  must  be  remembered  Fthat  the  very 
air  they  breathed  was  laden  with  the  spirit  of  ad- 
venture and  unrest.  The  mining  camps  of  Nevada 
were  the  homes  of  wild  romance.  Frank  and  Jesse 
took  a  journey  up  the  mountains  without  any  spec- 
ial purpose  other  than  that  of  seeing  the  country. 
Of  course,  they  were  not  likely  to  risk  their  lives 
among  the  miners  of  the  Sierras  unarmed.    So,  car^ 


114        The  Life  of  Frank  and  Jesse  James, 

rying  with  them  their  weapons  of  defense — theii 
faithful  companions  of  the  days  of  peril— they  start- 
ed forth.  The  camp  life  was  most  congenial  to  them. 
And,  to  add  to  their  pleasure,  they  found  several 
old  companions  who  had  followed  the  black  flag  of 
Quantrell  in  the  old  days.  They  prospected,  they 
played  sportsman,  till  little  by  little  the  old  fires 
were  kindling,  and  there  needed  only  some  circum- 
stance to  set  the  old  guerrilla  flames  aglow. 

The  occasion  was  not  far  to  seek.  Frank  and 
Jesse,  with  two  old  Missourian  acquaintances,  took 
a  journey  into  the  region  of  the  Sonoma  Mountains, 
where  a  small  tributary  of  the  Humboldt  river  cuts 
the  foothills  of  the  range.  There  was  a  new  en- 
campment called  ''Battle  Mountain."  And,  to  use 
the  emphatic  language  of  these  four  Missouri  boys, 
they  thought  they  would  break  the  monotony  of  life 
by  going  to  Battle  Mountain  ''just  to  shake  up  the 
encampment !"  These  camping  towns  spring  up  as 
if  by  magic.  And  very  often  just  as  rapidly  pass 
from  sight.  So  that  now  the  traveler  in  these  moun- 
tain regions  comes  often  upon  the  relics  of  a  deserted 
hamlet  that  served  the  purpose  of  the  hour  and  then 
was  left  to  rot  and  ruin.  Some  lucky  "find"  would 
determine  the  locality.  A  main  street  would  be  laid 
out.  Saloons,  eating-houses,  dance-houses,  and 
gambling-hells,  with  a  sufficient  number  of  shanties 
for  the  dwelling  of  the  men,  would  make  up  the 
''place."  And,  over  and  over  again,  the  gold  for 
which  men  had  toiled  so  hard  for  weeks  would  all 
be  squandered  in  a  single  night's  debauch.     Battle 


Out  in  the  doldeu   WeM,  llf) 

Mountain  had  tlie  reputation  of  being  a  * 'rattling 
place."  It  had  ainong  its  strange  inhabitants  men 
of  honorable  position,  charmed  by  the  hope  of  find- 
ing sudden  wealth;  and  men  of  easy  mind  and  care- 
less mien,  who  were  simply  traveling  to  see  what 
was  to  be  seen,  and  others  of  dark  intent;  who  knew 
best  of  all  how  to  gamble  and  carouse,  and  always 
to  be  ready  with  bowie  knife  and  revolver  as  the 
quick  and  sure  settlers  of  any  argument  that  might 
arise.  Hard  work  by  day,  and  at  night  women, 
wliiskey  and  cards,  this  was  the  order  of  Battle 
Mountain.  And  it  was  to  "shake  up"  this  encamp- 
ment that  Frank  and  Jesse  James  and  their  two  com- 
panions from  Missouri,  came.  They  had  not  been 
here  long  when  a  number  of  gambling  blacklegs, 
who  little  knew  tlie  sort  of  men  they  had  to  deal  with, 
formed  a  plot  to  swindle  these  green  boys  from  Mis- 
souri. While  the  James  boys  did  not  drink,  they 
were  somewhat  proud  of  their  skill  at  cards.  One 
fatal  night,  the  boys  of  Battle  Mountain,  thirty  or 
forty  strong,  were  gathered  together.  Some  were 
drinking,  others  playing  at  cards,  others  mapping 
out  plans  for  future  prospecting. 

Jesse's  friend,  sitting  at  the  same  table,  had  just 
* 'called"  the  hand  of  his  opponent — one  of  the  men 
in  the  plot. 

''Three  kings,"  said  the  gambler,  cheerfully. 

"Three  aces,"  coolly  replied  the  other,  as  he  ex- 
hibited them  and  raked  down  the  "pot."  Then  he 
continued:  ''I  discounted  a  king.  When  the  cut 
was  made  for  your  deal,  the  bottom  card  was  ex- 


116        The  Life  of  Frank  and  Jesse  James, 

posed.  It  was  a  king.  You  got  your  third  king  from 
the  bottom.     You  mustn't  do  that  again." 

"It's  a  lie  !"  snarled  the  gambler  through  clenched 
teeth.  And  there  was  a  look  in  his  steel-gray  eyes 
that  meant  mischief,  as  his  hand  felt  down  for  his 
revolver. 

The  attention  of  the  whole  company  was  arrested. 
Jesse  took  in  the  whole  situation  in  a  moment.  His 
companion  had  made  a  deliberate  charge  of  cheat- 
ing, and  Jesse  knew  well  that  according  to  the  gam- 
blers' code  of  honor  in  such  a  case/'some  one  must 
die."  There  was  a  moment  of  peril  for  his  friend, 
but  quick  as  thought  Jesse's  pistol  flashed  its  uner- 
ring fire,  and  the  gambling  cheat  fell  dead. 

The  remaining  gambler  made  a  violent  lunge  at 
Jesse  with  a  knife,  the  blow  was  partly  warded  off 
by  a  tough  buckskin  bag  of  gold  dust  which  Jesse 
carried — the  next  moment  Jesse  brought  his  pistol 
round  with  a  swing,  fired,  and  literally  blew  off  the 
top  of  his  opponent's  head,  and  he  fell  with  his  face 
downwards  upon  the  gambling  table. 

A  perfect  pandemonium  ensued.  Frank  and  his 
companion  were  ready  for  action  in  a  moment. 
Howling  and  yelling  and  cursing  rent  the  air.  The 
gamblers  of  Battle  Mountain  found  that  these  quiet- 
looking  Missouri  boys  were  incarnate  devils  when 
roused.  But  they  had  most  to  find  out  yet.  There 
were  four  against  thirty  !  Rather  heavy  odds  !  The 
lights  were  suddenly  put  out,  and  Jesse  cried: 

''Stand  aside  !    Be  ready  !" 

Frank  and  the  other  two  men  knew  precisely  what 


Out  in  the  Golden  West.  117 

that  meant.  They  made  a  rush  for  the  door,  amidst 
shots  Hying  fast  and  free.  Jesse  covered  their  re- 
treat with  his  pistol.  They,  having  escaped,  began 
to  fire  warily  on  the  demoralized  crowd.  Jesse  then 
made  for  the  door,  but  two  burly  men  with  huge 
knivee  stood  in  the  way.  Jesse  fired  on  one  of  them 
and  he  sank  groaning  to  the  earth,  in  a  moment 
he  sprang  upon  the  other  and  dealt  him  so  fearful 
a  blow  with  the  butt-end  of  his  pistol  that  he  fell  in- 
sensible on  his  dying  comrade.  Over  this  bloody 
barricade  Jesse  crept  and  joined  his  friends  out- 
side. 

When  lights  were  obtained  the"  interior  of  that 
gambling  hell  presented  a  ghastly  sight.  The  half- 
drunken  women  were  suddenly  sobered.  Three  men 
lay  dead,  wallowing  in  pools  of  their  own  blood. 
Five  others  lay  mortally  wounded,  groaning,  curs- 
ing and  blaspheming.  The  floor  and  walls  were  all 
bedabbled  with  human  blood.  A  sudden  impulse 
stirred  a  number  of  the  survivors  to  follow  and 
avenge  this  dreadful  night  on  the  escaped  Missou- 
rians. 

A  little  more  than  a  mile  away  they  came  upon 
the  Jameses  and  their  two  friends.  The  leaders  of  the 
avenging  mob  ran  yelling  and  howling  toward 
them. 

"Fall  back  !"  cried  Jesse,  '"Fall  back  !  We  have 
fought  once  in  self-defense,  and  we  can  fight  again." 
Then  turning  to  his  comrades  he  said,  ''Steady  boys! 
Let  every  shot  count." 

On  camR  the  yelling  pack,  filling  the  air  with  bias- 


118         The  Life  of  Frank  ami  Jassf.  James. 

phemous  threatenings  of  death  to  the  fugitive  ones. 

"Back,  you  cl d  miscreants  !  Stand  back  I  say!" 

cried  Jesse  James. 

.    But  they  rushed  forward  at  the  top  of  their  speed. 

"Boys,  we  are  in  for  it,"  said  Jesse,  quietly. 

"All  right  !  Be  ready  !"  Then  he  shouted:  "Come 
on,  d — -n  you  !    Just  come  ahead  and  be  kiUed  !" 

Four  bullets  quick  and  sharp  sped  their  way  to  the 
oncoming  mob,  and  in  a  moment  four  men  fell 
wounded  to  the  earth.  The  Missourians  opened  fire 
again  and  two  others  fell  gashed  and  wounded.  At 
this  the  avengers  paused.  The  dauntless  four  in 
that  moment  escaped.  The  gamblers,  however, 
treated  them  to  a  parting  shot,  seriously  wounding 
one  of  the  party.  Jesse's  hat  was  shot  off  his  head, 
but  no  further  harm  was  done.  They  reached  Min- 
nemunca  in  safety.  They  had  "shaken  up"'  Battle 
Mountain  with  a  vengeance  I  Twelve  men  had  fal- 
len victims,  and  were  dead  or  dying  !  This  was  a 
new  sensation  in  the  great  mining  State.  The  quiet, 
inoffensive-looking  boys,  who  seemed  to  have  more 
of  the  Sunday  school  teacher  about  them  than  the 
wild  desperado,  had  left  their  unmistakable  sign 
manual  in  the  gold-diggers  camp. 


OHAPTEE    XYII. 

RETURN  OF  THE  ISHMAELITES. 

RETURN  OF  THE  ISHMAELITES— BANK  ROBBERY  AT  OAl^ 
LATIN— WHO      WERE     THE     ROBBERS? — JESSE 
DENIES  ALL  SHARE — THO.  MASON'S  BxVND 
ATTEMPT  TO  ARRREST  FRANK 
AND  JESSE— MRS.  SAMU- 
ELS AGAIN — NOT  TO 
BE    CAUGHT. 

It  was  not  safe  for  our  heroes  to  try  the  experi- 
ment of  eating-  their  Christmas  dinner  in  the  neigh- 
borhood of  the  Sien-as.  After  that  fatal  night  at 
Battle  Mountain,  they  became  marked  men,  and  it 
was  on  their  part  a  stroke  of  sound  policy  to  leave 
the  hills  and  mountains  of  the  golden  West  at  the 
ver}^  earliest  opportunity.  They  remained  in  seclu- 
sion only  a  few  days  and  then  they  journeyed  with 
all  speed  to  their  home  in  Missouri. 

Arrived  here,  they  soon  found  that,  though  thej 
liad  many  friends  of  the  old  guerrilla  days  scattered 
up  and  down,  yet  for  the  most  part  they  were  Ish- 
maelites  indeed  I  Their  hands  had  been  against 
every  man,  and  now  everv  man's  hand  was  against 

(119) 


120        Hie  Life  of  Frank  and  Jesse  James, 

them.  And  in  that  region  of  country  everything 
that  went  wrong,  every  theft  small  or  great,  every 
annoyance  important  or  trivial,  was  laid  to  the  door 
of  the  James  brothers.  And,  though  much  may  be 
said  concerning  the  circumstances  that  first  drove, 
or  attracted,  the  boys  to  the  camp  of  Quantrell,  their 
subsequent  conduct  bears  only  one  conclusion;  that 
wnaiever  they  had  to  suffer  of  injustice  in  this  res- 
pect, they  had  only  themselves  to  thank  for  it.  They 
were  but  suffering  the  natural  and  inevitable  result 
ot  such  a  course  as  they  had  pursued. 

It  is  true,  as  has  been  before  insisted  in  these 
pages,  that,  altogether  outside  these  old  guerrilla 
forces,  there  were  bands  of  wild  freebooters  who 
scrupled  at  nothing;  to  whom  the  sanctity  of  woman- 
hood and  the  defenselessness  of  children  counted 
for  nothing,  when  they  crossed  their  path  or  thwart- 
ed their  purposes.  But  between  these  awkward  des- 
peradoes and  their  clumsy  deeds,  and  the  well-organ- 
ized and  invariably  successful  plans  of  the  old 
time  guerrillas  there  was  a  wide  difference.  The 
Jameses  and  the  Youngers  and  the  Andersons  left 
their  own  imprint  distinct  and  definite  on  all  their 
iloings.  A  thousand  deeds  of  lawless  adventure 
were  so  effectively  done,  and  all  trace  so  completely 
covered  that  a  successful  raid  was  without  much 
consideration  attributed  to  the  most  successful  lead- 
«)rs  of  the  time,  Frank  and  Jesse  James. 

And  yet  it  can  not  be  said  that  their  Ishmaelism 
was  without  cause.  Had  not  the  home  of  their 
childhood  been  the  scene  of  many  a  fierce  onslaught 


Return  of  the  Islimaelites,  lai 

on  the  part  of  the  Federal  militia?  If  Dr.  Samuels 
was  alive  it  was  because  he  had  been  secretly  rescued 
after  having  been  left  for  dead.  And  one  of  Jesse's 
earliest  remembrances  was  of  being  subjected  to 
treatment  both  shameful  and  cruel.  And  the  seeds 
of  shameless  cruelty  will  bring  forth  abundant  h 
vests. 

Vigilance  committees  were  hounding  their  com- 
rades v/ithout  mercy.  And  they  knew  that  the  zest 
with  which  these  were  exterminated  would  be  ten 
times  more  fierce  if  they  should  chance  to  fall  into 
their  hands. 

On  the  16th  of  December,  1869,  Gallatin,  a  flour- 
ishing little  city  in  Daviess  County,  Missouri,  had 
an  experience  similar  to  that  of  Russelville.  The 
chief  difference  being  that  cold-blooded  murder  was 
added  to  robbery.  It  was  a  dark,  gloomy  day  such 
as  abound  in  the  month  of  December,  It  was  sup- 
posed that  the  bank  was  just  then  pretty  flush  in 
funds.  All  at  once  a  band  of  armed  horsemen  rush- 
ed into  the  quiet  street  that  runs  like  an  artery 
through  Gallatin,  with  wild  cries  and  curses  they 
ordered  all  the  inhabitants  to  keep  their  houses  at 
peril  of  instant  death.  Two  of  the  band  rushed  into 
the  bank  (believed  to  be  Cole  Younger  and  Jesse 
James)  and  holding  a  revolver  before  the  face  of 
Captain  John  W.  Sheets  demanded  that  he  give  up 
the  keys.  The  safe  door  was  already  open.  The 
booty  was  secured.  The  amount,  however,  was 
small,  reaching  only  about  $700.  The  gold  being 
put  in  a  bag,the  robber  who  had  held  Captain  Sheets 


122        The  Life  of  Frank  and  Jesse  James, 

in  silence  deliberately  fired  a  bullet  through  his 
brain  and  the  unfortunate  cashier  fell  dead  at  his 
assasin's  feet.  The  robbery  completed  and  the  mur- 
der done,  ^he  wild  band  fled  from  Gallatin  as  quick- 
ly as  they  entered,  and  left  no  trace  behind  them 
save  the  plundered  bank  and  the  lifeless  form  of  a 
gallant  gentleman  who  was  universally  respected. 
The  wanton  cruelty  of  this  murder  awoke  the  bitter- 
est feeling  throughout  the  whole  neighborhood.  Cap- 
tain Sheets  was  a  great  favorite  in  business  and 
social  circles.  Th^  robh^vy  ^"^'^"^  altogether  lost  sight 
of  in  the  graver  consideration  of  the  foul  and  un- 
natural murder,  the  motive  for  which  it  wa  s  hard  to 
imagine.  It  was,  however,  afterward  averrv-^l  that 
the  murderer  mistook  him  for  a  certain  Lieut.  Cox, 
who,  it  was  said,  in  a  raid  against  the  guerrillas,  had 
killed  the  notorious  Bill  Anderson.  The  whole  coun- 
try was  roused  and  a  most  exciting  chase  took  place. 
But  the  robbers  were  well  mounted,  and,  though 
they  were  pursued  to  the  borders  of  Clay  County,  the 
pursuit  was  vain,  for  at  that  point  they  lost  all  track 
of  them.  The  robbers  were  on  what  they  signifi- 
cantly called  ''their  own  stamping  ground." 

Who  were  these  robbers?  The  universal  voice  sad- 
led  the  robbery  and  murder  on  the  Jameses  and  the 
Youngers,  which  Jesse  however  most  indignantly 
repudiated.  So  bold  and  intrepid  was  Jesse  in  this 
denial  that  he  wrote  to  the  Governor  of  Missouri  on 
his  own  behalf  and  on  that  of  his  brother  Frank 
offering  to  surrender  to  the  officers  of  the  la^v  and 
submit  to  a  trial,  on  condition  that  the  Go*-  ^nor 


Eeturn  of  the  Ishmaelites  123 

would  guarantee  them  a  safe  escort  securing  them 
from  the  chances  of  |mob  violence  and  lynch  law  in 
Daviess  County.  Governor  McClury  declt-.red  that 
he  did  not  believe  that  the  boys  had  anything  to  do 
with  the  robbery.  For  a  time  his  decision  had  some 
influence  on  public  opinion.  But  there  was  a  deep 
under-current  of  feeling  that  if  these  young  men 
Frank  and  Jesse  James  had  not  been  actually  con- 
cerned in  the  operations,  they  were  nevertheless 
parties  to,  if  not  instigators  of  the  plot.  As  years 
went  on,  further  developements  led  to  the  now 
thoroughly  received  opinion  that  Captain  Sheets 
died  at  the  hand  of  Frank  or  Jesse  James.  Amongst 
those  who  believed  most  thoroughly  in  the  guilt  of 
the  James  brothers  was  Captain  John  Thomason  of 
Clay  County,  Missouri.  He  thought  that  it  was  no 
use  in  the  world  to  deal  in  half  measures  with  these 
miscreants.  He  was  persuaded  that  there  would  be 
no  peace,  no  security  for  life  or  property  as  long  as 
they  were  at  large,  hence  he  put  himself  at  the  head 
of  a  band  of  men  who  were  resolved  at  all  hazards 
and  at  any  cost  to  arrest  Frank  and  Jesse  James 
and  bring  them  to  justice.  Captain  Thomason  had 
served  during  the  war  on  the  confederate  side,  he 
had  also  sustained  the  office  of  Sheriff  of  Clay  County 
to  the  great  admiration  of  the  county  at  large.  He 
carried  with  him  great  moral  influence  as  a  man 
who  was  the  outspoken  friend  of  law  and  order.  No 
man  in  Clay  county  could  command  a  larger  follow- 
ing for  any  good  purpose.  The  James  brothers  were 
made  acquainted  with  the  purpose  of  Captain  Thorn- 


124        The  Life  of  Frank  and  Jesse  James. 

ason,  they  knew  the  man  they  had  to  deal  with,  but 
they  were  not  in  the  least  dismayed.  They  went 
out  to  meet  him  and  his  band.  The  meeting  is  said 
to  have  taken  pLace  near  the  home  of  the  Samuels, 
Captain  Thomason  demanded  their  immediate 
unconditional  surrender.  Of  course,  as  may  be  well 
supposed,  they  laughed  the  demand  to  scorn,  and 
seemed  disposed  to  treat  the  whole  affair  as  a  huge 
farce.  When  the  thing  assumed  a  more  serious 
aspect  and  Captain  Thomason  hinted  at  force.  Then 
there  was  nothing  for  it  but  to  meet  fire  with  fire. 
And  the  guerrilla  boys  proved  themselves  ready  for 
the  encounter.  A  shot  from  Jesse's  pistol  brought 
down  Captain  Thomason's  horse  dead  under  him. 
The  fray  lasted  only  a  few  minutes.  The  pursuing 
party  felt  that  to  proceed  would  only  be  to  endanger 
life  with  little  prospect  of  capturing  their  prey,  so 
they  returned,  and  Frank  and  Jesse  rode  back  home 
scathless  and  triumphant.  It  is  one  of  the  wonders 
of  this  wonderful  history  that  these  mauraders  were 
hunted  so  incessantly  and  never  caught.  After  the 
Gallatin  affair  the  Daviess  county  officials  hunted 
them  in  vain.  Pinkerton  and  his  staff  from  Chica- 
go, and  a  posse  of  shrewd  skillful  detectives  from 
St.  Louis  hunted  them  in  vain.  It  is  quite  evident 
that  many  who  might  have  given  some  information, 
felt  no  particular  desire  to  place  themselves  in  an 
attitude  of  antagonism  to  these  desperate  characters. 
The  dread  they  had  inspired  far  and  near  made  all 
timid  souls  conclude  that  it  was  best  to  let  the  James 
brothers  alone,  and  so  they  got  a  pretty  wide  berth, 


Beturn  of  the  Ishmaelites,  1^5 

and  enjoyed  a  freedom  that  would  certainly  have 
been  denied  to  less  reckless  men. 

Captain  Thomason  was  annoyed  at  his  defeat; 
and  did  not  hesitate  to  express  himself  in  unmeasured 
terms;  not  staying  even  to  express  very  strong  and. 
uncompromising  opinions  concerning  Mrs.  Samuels 
whom  he  regarded  as  the  hateful  guiding  spirit  of 
these  murderous  sons.  Indeed  he  said  over  and 
over  again  that  only  such  ^  mother  could  bring  forth 
such  sons.  A  remarkable  and  characteristic  inter- 
view between  the  two  is  reported. 

Mrs.  Samuels  had  heard  of  the  strong  things  Cap- 
tain Thomason  was  saying,  and  thought  perhaps  to 
intimidate  him  by  threats.  Whatever  was  the  pur- 
pose this  irrepressible  woman,  now  close  on  sixty 
years  of  age,  rode  ten  miles  on  horseback  to  give 
Captain  Thomason  a  piece  of  her  mind.  She  entered 
the  house  without  ceremony  as  the  family  was  din- 
ing and  walking  up  to  Captain  Thomason  in  a  reso- 
lute tone  of  voice. 

"Captain  Thomason,  I  understand  you  have  called 
me  a !" 

''Yes,  I  did,"  returned  the  Captain,  "and  I  want 
you  to  understand  that  I  mean  every  word  I  say, 
and,  mark  me,  if  ever  I  or  any  of  mine  are  injured 
by  you  or  yours  in  the  least  thing,  I  swear  before 
heaven  and  earth  that  there  shall  not  be  a  stone  left 
of  your  house,  nor  a  single  member  of  your  family 
spared  !" 

"Indeed  !"  said  the  stern-faced  woman. 

"And  if  any  killing  is  to  be  done,"  continued   the 


12G        The  Life  of  Frank  and  Jesse  James. 

Captain,  ''take  my  advice  and  see  you  kill  all  my 
family;  don't  let  a  member  survive,  or  the  injury 
might  be  avenged  !" 

At  this  Mrs.  Samuels,  with  a  look  of  supreme  dis- 
gust, strode  out  of  the  room  and  journeyed  home 
feeling  that  her  errand  had  been  a  failure,. 


CHAPTEE    XYIIl. 

FORTY  THOUSAND  DOLLARS. 

BANK   PLUNDERING    CONTINUED — RAID    AT   COLUMBIA 

KENTUCKY— MURDER  OF  MR.  CASHIER    MARTIN 

— ANOTHER     FRUITLESS     CHASE — THE 

ROBBERS  AT  CORYDON,  IOWA — 

$40,000  AT  A  SWEEP  ! 

The  best-filled  coffers  will  not  hold  out  forever. 
And  the  robbery  of  another  bank  was  a  sure  and 
certain  sign  that  the  funds  of  the  robbers  were  run- 
ning low.  The  spring  of  1872  found  Frank  and  Jesse 
James  and  the  three  Younger  boys  all  in  Kentucky, 
whither  they  generally  fled  when  danger  threatened , 
They  had  many  friends  in  Kentucky,  and  were  as 
secure  here  as  any  place  in  the  world.  Of  course 
they  were  careful  never  to  appear  publicly  in  com  • 
pany.  Their  policy  was  to  keep  apart,  and  they 
have  often  spent  days  in  the  same  place  as  though 
they  were  the  most  perfect  strangers,  and  more  than 
once  they  have  undergone  the  farce  of  being  intr [>- 
duced  to  each  other  by  strangers. 

A  whole  year  or  more  had  passed  since  the  last 
bank  raid,  and  the  public  mind  began  to  rest  i»    r^ 

(127) 


128        Tlie  Life  of  Frank  and  Jesse  James, 

sense  of  security.  Besides  which,  the  managers  of 
banks,  as  may  well  be  expected,  looked  more  dilig- 
ently to  the  means  and  methods  of  security  and  de- 
fense. But  wiiile  there  is  no  insurmountable  diffi- 
culty in  guarding  against  ordinary  dangers,  tlie 
special  and  unexpected  and  sudden  dangers  are  not 
so  easily  foreseen. 

Columbia  is  a  pleasant  little  village  in  the  county 
of  Adair,  in  Kentucky.  A  quiet,  sleepy  little  place 
that  knew  nothing  to  disturb  the  even  tenor  of  its 
way,  save  when  the  holding  of  the  Courts  of  Session 
stirred  the  dull  monotonj^  of  the  place.  For  Colum- 
bia was  the  seat  of  Justice  for  the  county.  On  the 
afternoon  of  April  29th,  1872,  all  was  m  statu  quo, 
as  Wilkins  Micawber  would  say.  It  was  about  2 
o'clock  in  the  afternoon.  The  bank  was  still  open. 
The  Pres.  of  the  Bank  of  Deposit  was  chatting  with 
Mr.  R.  A.  C.  Martin,  the  respected  cashier  of  the 
bank,  and  Mr.  Garnett,  an  old  citizen  of  Columbia. 
All  in  a  moment  the  conversation  was  interrupted 
by  a  most  unusual  occurrence.  Five  well-armed 
horsemen  dashed  into  the  street.  There  was  the  old 
order.  Promiscuous  firing  of  pistols,  oaths  and 
threatenings;  every  human  being  was  driven  into 
the  house  on  peril  of  instant  death.  Before  the  gen- 
tlemen in  the  bank  could  for  a  moment  guess  the 
meaning  of  this  strange  tumult,  Frank  James  and 
Cole  Younger  dismounted  and  entered  the  bank. 
Without  a  word  the  bandits  went  round  the  counter, 
each  holding  c  pair  of  cocked  pistols  in  his  hands, 

"  Will  you  give  up  the  sate  keys,  d n  you?"  said 


Forty  Thousand  Dollars,  129 

one  of  them  to  the  cashier,  holding  a  pistol  within  a 
yard  of  his  head. 

^*I  will  not !"  was  the  answer  of  the  brave  cashier 
Martin. 

"Then,  d n  you,  will  you  open  the  safe?  Come, 

quick.  I've  no  time  to  waste.  If  you  don't  I'll  blow 
your  brains  out!  Quick,  d — n  you,  quick  !  Now  will 
your" 

'"I  will  not.     I  will  d — '' 

Poor,  brave  Martin  had  no  time  to  finish  the  sen- 
tence. A  bullet  crashed  through  his  temples.  Blood 
and  brains  spurted  out  upon  counter  and  on  floor, 
and  the  valiant  guardian  of  the  public  funds  fell 
dead  at  his  murderer's  feet. 

The  on-lookers  seemed  paralyzed.  They  were 
horror-stricken  and  utterly  powerless.  The  robbers 
then  gathered  together  all  they  could,  which  only 
amounted  to  a  little  over  $300  in  cash.  For  the  rob- 
bers had  outwitted  themselves.  The  secret  of  the 
combination  was  with  the  dead  cashier.  Placing 
such  spoils  as  they  had  in  hand  in  a  sack,  they  re- 
mounted their  horses  and  gave  the  signal  for  de- 
parture.    They  went  as  quickly  as  they  came. 

No  sooner  had  the  news  of  the  raid  spread,  than 
another  of  those  fruitless  pursuits  began.  The  rob- 
bers were  pursued  to  the  mountains  of  Tennessee. 
One  of  the  robbers  called  Saunders,  but  better  known 
as  Bill  Longley  the  Texan  desperado,  was  shot  in 
Fentress  County.  The  fact  that  Saunders  was  of 
this  gang  was  proof  sufficient  in  the  minds  of  the 
Kentuckians  that  the  robbeis  of  the  Columbia  bank 


130        The  Life  of  Frank  and  Jesse  James. 

were  none  other  than  the  james  and  Younger  gang. 
There  are  others,  however,  who  cling  to  the  belief 
that  neither  Frank  nor  Jesse  had  any  part  in  this 
fray. 

Russelville  !    Gallatin  !    Columbia  ! 

And,  in  less  than  twelve  months  after,  the  Bank 
of  Corydon,  Iowa,  was  in  like  manner  robbed  and 
raided.  It  was  on  the  28th  of  June,  1873,  at  about 
10  o'clock  in  the  morning.  The  bank  was  just  open- 
ing for  business,  when  seven  desperadoes  charged 
furiously  into  the  center  of  the  town,  firing  right 
and  left  and  swearing  to  shoot  dead  everybody  who 
remained  in  the  streets.  Their  commands  were 
obeyed.  The  streets  were  cleared.  None  of  the  in- 
habitants thought  of  offering  any  resistance.  Three 
of  the  robbers  dismounted  and  with  cocked  pistols 
entered  the  bank,  swearing  to  blow  the  heads  off  any 
who  dared  to  interfere  with  them,  The  six  heavy 
dragoon  pistols  served  to  terrify  those  who  were  in 
the  bank,  and,  with  the  memories  of  Captain  Sheets 
and  Mr.  Martin  before  them,  they  yielded  at  discre- 
tion. The  safe  was  opened  and  the  contents  thrown 
into  a  sack.  It  is  said  that  the  robbers  made  by  this 
one  haul  a  sum  nearly  approaching  $40,000.  The 
people  in  the  bank  were  charged  to  order  and  si- 
lence, and  one  of  the  robber  brood  boasted  that  he 
could  fetch  a  button  off  the  coat  of  any  of  them  with 
his  pistol;  so  they  had  best  have  a  care. 

Of  course  after*  the  consternation  had  given  place 
to  quieter  moments,  the  inhabitants  instituted  a  vig- 
orous pursuit.     The  common  result  followed.      Not 


Forty  Thousand  Dollar fi.  131 

one  of  the  robbers  were  caught.  So  a  handful  of 
men,  in  the  broad  light  of  day,  were  able  to  go  about 
murdering  and  plundering  and  no  power  was  able 
to  repress  them.  Corydon  r^T^^er  again  saw  a  dollar 
of  its  stolen  money,  nor  caught  a  glimpse  of  the 
wild  raiders  who  shook  that  June  morning  with 
threat  and  terror. 


CHAPTER  XIX. 

A  CHAPTER  WITPIOUT  BLOOD 

FRANK  AND  JESSE  AS    GENTLEMEN    AT    LARGE — EQUAL 

TO  EVERY    EMERGENCY — THE    GRIM    JOKE 

OF  THE  BROTHERS  HUNTING  FOR 

THEMSELVES  —  JESSE 

PLAYING  RUSTIC. 

It  must  not  be  for  a  moment  supposed  that  Frank 
and  Jesse  James  were  always  on  the  war-path.  Apart 
from  those  periods  of  enforced  leisure,  when  through 
dangerous  wounds  they  were  compelled  to  seek  rest 
and  retirement;  they  took  many  occasions  to  enjoy 
life  to  the  full.  Th'3  robbery  of  a  bank  would  supply 
them  with  ample  tunds.  And,  as  the  old  story  goes, 
money  easily  gained  is  just  as  easily  parted  with. 
When  the  times  were  flush  with  +^">em,  they  knew 
how  to  play  the  role  of  roystere  .  '  "*  convivial  gen- 
tlemen. They  were  widely  dissimilar  in  their  men- 
tal characteristics,  but  they  knew  each  how  to  enjoy 
life  to  the  full. 

They  enjoyed  the  luxury  of  travel.  But  they  never 
travelled  together  when  using  their  own  names,  and 
they  were  never  very  far  apart.     Over  the  plains  of 

(132) 


A  Chapter  Without  Blood  133 

Texas  or  through  the  swarming  centres,  of  civiliza- 
tion, they  were  always  near  enough  to  help  each 
other  if  the  bell  of  danger  rung.  Tlieir  reputation 
was  their  safeguard,  if  they  should  chance  to  be 
known  in  the  larger  towns  or  cities.  Everyone  who 
knew  them,  knew  that  there  was  nothing  surer  than 
the  aim,  and  nothing  deadlier  than  the  fire  that 
flashed  from  the  pistols  of  Frank  and  Jesse  James. 
And  so  discretion  suggested  that  it  would  be  well 
to  leave  the  James  boys  alone.  They  might  have 
been  arrested  a  thousand  times,  but  what  is  every- 
body's duty  is  nobody's  duty;  and,  moreover,  there 
was  a  widespread  feeling  that  anything  done  to 
Frank  or  Jesse  would  be  sure  to  be  avenged  with  an 
awful  vengeance  !  It  was  well  known  that  the  cor- 
ner stone  of  their  policy  was:  "Dead  men  tell  no 
tales."  And  if  a  question  rose  as  to  the  advisabili- 
ty or  unadvisability  of  shooting  a  man,  or  a  dozen 
men,  their  invariable  method  was  to  shoot,  and  leave 
the  question  for  more  convenient  consideration. 
Under  such  circumstances  can  it  be  greatly  wonder- 
ed at  that  a  policy  of  non-interference  has  so  largely 
prevailed. 

"Do  you  see  that  rather  sedate,  well-dressed  fel- 
low, sitting  over  in  that  large  chair  just  by  the 
pillar?"  asked  a  gentleman  of  his  companion,  not 
very  long  ago,  as  they  sat  smoking  in  the  great 
central  hall  of  the  Palmer  House,  Chicago. 

•'I  do,"  was  the  response  of  the  gentleman,  who 
happened  to  be  a  Justice  of  the  Peace  for  Cook 
County. 


134        The  Life  of  Fraiik  and  Jesse  James. 

''Well,"  said  the  first  speaker,  "do  you  know  that 
that  is  the  notorious  outlaw  Frank  James?" 

"Indeed  !"  said  the  magistrate. 

"Yes,"  said  his  informant,  "no  doubt  at  all  about 
it.  He  has  registered  as  Edwin  Jackson,  of  Detroit; 
but  he  has  been  spotted  by  a  dozen  men,  there  is  no 
doubt  about  his  being  the  great  Missourian  bandit, 
Frank  James.  Say,  Judge,  what  a  grand  opportu- 
nity for  you  !  You  might  have  him  arrested,  and 
make  quite  a  name  and  fame  !" 

"No  thank  you  !"  said  the  legal  dignitary. 

"But  you  are  a  Justice  of  the  Peace  and  society 
looks  to  you  !"  said  his  friend,  growing  quite  elo- 
quent. 

"That's  just  where  it  is,"  said  the  magistrate,  "I'm 
a  Justice  of  the  Peace,  and  I  want  peace.  Society 
looks  to  me,  and  I  want  it  to  go  on  looking  to  me. 
That  may  or  may  not  be  Frank  James,  it's  none  of 
my  funeral.  But  if  it  were  Frank  or  Jesse  James  or 
any  of  that  infamous  gang,  and  I  arrested  him,  it 
would  probably  be  my  funeral,  and  soon  !  Do  you 
think  that  because  a  man  is  a  magistrate  he  must 
therefore  be  a  fool?  Come  and  let  us  take  a  turn 
along  State  street." 

Exiled  and  outlawed  as  they  were,  they  dared  to 
the  uttermost,  and  went  up  and  down  enjoying 
themselves  without  any  fear  of  arrest.  They  took 
the  precaution  to  wear  false  names,  but  that  was 
all  the  false  they  did  wear.  Anything  like  an  at- 
tempt at  facial  disguise,  or  make  up  in  form  or 
dress,  was  beneath  the  dignity  of  these  dattticless 


A  Chapter  Without  Blood.  135 

men.  They  trusted  to  courage  and  good  sense  and 
their  ready  wits.  They  never  trusted  to  good  luck. 
'J'hey  trusted  to  themselves,  and  they  seem  to  never 
have  trusted  in  vain  ! 

They  seem  to  have  been  equal  to  every  emergency. 
They  took  long  journeys  and  sea  voyages,  and  were 
often  brought  into  contact  with  people  of  culture  and 
refinement.  Amongst  those  they  were  perfectly  at 
home.  Frank's  reticence  always  served  him  in  good 
stead,  while  Jesse's  free  spirit  and  manner  alwa^^s 
made  him  appear  to  advantage  as  a  most  genial 
young  gentleman,  of  good  education  and  breeding. 
With  the  roystering  and  the  merry  they  could  take 
their  part,  and  be  as  loud  and  jolly  as  the  best  of 
them.  With  the  vulgar  and  the  loafing  they  had 
nothing  in  common,  they  disdained  the  companion- 
ship of  the  low;  just  as  Dick  Turpin  would  have  dis- 
dained a  clumsy  thief.  Frank  and  Jesse  James 
were  the  aristocrats  of  wild  adventure. 

They  had  several  aliases.  Jesse  was  known  for 
a  long  time  in  New  York,  and  widely  respected,  too, 
as  Charles  Lawson,  of  Nottingham.  While  they 
were  being  hunted  and  sought  for  in  Missouri  and 
Kentucky  and  Texas,  they  were  having  a  good  time 
a  thousand  miles  away;  while  their  foes  were  beat- 
ing about  the  woods  of  Jackson  county,  Frank  was 
dining  at  the  Palmer  House,  Chicago;  and  Jesse  w^as 
entertaining  a  number  of  friends  at  the  Astor  House, 
New  York.  Or  while  Pinkerton's  men  were  hard  at 
work  hunting  the  boys,  quite  sure  that  they  had  got 
on  the  right  trail  at  last,   the  affectionate  brothers 


/36        Tlie  Life  of  Frank  and  Jesse  James. 

would  be  refreshing  their  love  of  the  beautiful  from 
the  drawing-room  window  of  Prospect  House,  Niag- 
ara Falls,  or  laughing  at  Joe  Jefferson's  "Rip  Van 
Winkle,"  at  Whitney's  theatre,  in  Detroit;  or  listen- 
ing to  Lawrence  Barrett's  divine  declamations  at 
Booth's  theatre  in  New  York. 

Sometimes  they  would  perpetrate  the  grim  joke  of 
joining  their  pursuers  in  search  of  themselves.  More 
than  twice  or  thrice  they  have  been  daring  enough, 
in  an  unknown  region  of  country  to  engineer  a 
movement  in  search  of  those  wild,  lawless  James 
brothers,  and  to  lead  the  search  themselves,  seem- 
ingly most  intent  on  catching  their  prey. 

A  most  amusing  story  is  told  of  Jesse,  who  on  a 
memorable  occasion  played  the  part  of  rustic  to  his 
heart's  content.  It  was  the  second  day  after  the 
bank  robbery,  at  Corydon  Iowa.  The  whole  region 
was  up  in  arms  and  in  hot  pursuit  after  the  robbers. 
Jesse  was  riding  along  a  way  not  much  frequented, 
when  he  became  suddenly  aware  of  two  men  riding 
in  hot  fury  not  far  distant.  Confident  that  they  had 
neither  seen  nor  heard  hira,  his  ready  wit  suggested 
a  speedy  course  of  action.  Jesse  was  dressed  in  the 
rough  attire  of  a  granger,  and  assumed  a  most  un- 
couth simplicity  both  of  dialect  and  manners.  When 
he  came  within  reasonable  distance  of  the  two  well- 
armed,  well-mounted  horsemen,  he,  with  a  wary  eye 
on  their  pistols  and  his  hand  not  far  from  his  own, 
accosted  them: 

"Well,  gentlemen,  hev  you  Yne<;  anybody  up  'the 
road  ridin  a  hoss  an'  leadiu'  ov  another  one^   'cause 


A  Chapter   Without  Blood.  137 

3'ou  see  as  how  I  lives  clown  on  the  Nodaway,  an' 
some  infernal  thief  has  gone  off  with  my  two  best 
hosses.  I  hearn  about  two  miles  f  urder  down  at  the 
blacksmith  shop  that  a  man  passed  there  about  a 
hour  an'  a  half  ago  with  two  bosses,  an'  they  fits 
the  descripshun  of  mine  to  a  T.  Have  you  seen 
sich?" 

*'No.     Where  are  you  traveling  from?" 

*'Why,  Lord,  I've  come  all  the  way  from  the  Nod- 
away. The  infernal  thieves  are  using  us  up  awful. 
I  wish  I'd  come  on  the  infernal  son  of  a  seacook 
whose  taken  my  bosses.  I  do,  you  bet,  I'd  go  for  him 
with  these  'ere  irons.  I  would  that !"  And  Jesse  re- 
vealed his  ^* weapons"  as  he  called  them. 

* 'Did  you  see  anybody  on  the  road  ahead?  asked 
the  tallest  of  the  two  horsemen. 

"Not  for  some  miles.  I  met  four  ugly-looking  cus- 
tomers this  mornin'.     They  looked  like  they  might 

'a  been  hoss-thieves  theirselves.       D n  the  hoss- 

thieves,  say  I !"  said  he  rustic  Jesse. 

"Thieves  are  plenty  now-a-days.  They  come  into 
towns  and  break  banks  in  open  daylight.  How  far 
did  you  say  the  four  men  were  ahead?" 

"Well,  I  didn't  say;  but  it  must  be  more'n  two 
hours  since  I  met  'em,  an'  they  were  a  ridin'  purty 
fast,  an'  I've  rid  my  boss  almost  down,  as  you  can 
see,"  answered  Jesse. 

"What  kind  of  looking  men  were  they?"  asked  the 
robber-hunters. 

"Well,  one  was  a  sizable  man,  with  a  long,  red 
beard,  and  a  flopped  black  hat  on,  a  ridin'  on  a  big 


138        Ihe  Life  of  Frank  and  Jesse  James. 

chestnut  sorrel  hoss,  an'  one  more  was  a  smallish 
man,  with  very  black  hair  and  beard,  and  sharp 
black  eyes,  an'  he  was  a  ridin'  on  a  roan  hoss,  an' 
another  was  an  oldish  man,  with  some  gray  among 
his  beard,  an'  he  wore  a  blue  huntin'  shirt  coat,  an' 
he  was  a  ridin'  a  gray  hoss,  and  the  last  feller  was  a 
little  weazle-faced  chap,  with  tallowy  complexion, 
who  didn't  ware  no  beard,  an'  he  rode  on  a  dark- 
brown  hoss,"  said  the  rustic  with  rustic  simplicity. 

The  two  robber  hunters  then  consulted  together. 

"That's  their  description,"  said  one.  "Precisely," 
said  the  other.  "Shall  we  follow?"  asked  one.  "I 
would  like  to,"  replied  the  other.  "But  there  are 
four  of  them,"  was  the  remark  in  rejoinder.  "Yes, 
that  is  bad.  If  Ed,  Dick  and  Will  would  just  hurry 
up.  Those  fellows  are  no  doubt  very  dangerous  men," 
was  the  comment  of  one.  "You  bet  they  are,"  was 
the  response. 

All  this  time  Jesse  had  listened  as  an  interested 
party.  Now  he  thought  he  was  privileged  to  make 
an  inquiry. 

"What's  up,  strangers,  anyhow?"  Jesse  asked. 

*'You  blow  it  I  Don't  you  know  that  the  Corydon 
bank,  up  in  Iowa,  was  robbed  yesterday?" 

Jesse  opened  his  eyes  in  well-feigned  surprise. 

"You  don't  say  so  !"  he  ejaculated. 

"Yes,  in  broad  daylight,  and  the  men  you  met  are 
the  robbers,  no  doubt.  There's  a  big  reward  offered 
to  catch  them." 

"What's  this  country  comin'  to  anyhow?  Hoss- 
thieves  down  on  the  Nodaway,  an'  bank  rogues  up 


A  Chapter    Without  Blood,  130 

to  Iowa.  'Pears  like  hard  workin'  honest  folks  can't 
?et  along  much  more,"  grumbled  Jesse. 

* 'Could  you  go  back  with  us?" 

"I'd  like  to,  but  the  cussed  boss  thieves  will  get 
away.  Besides,  you  see,  my  horse  is  mighty  nigh 
played  out  hisself .     Howsumever,  I  might  ride  with 

you  as  fur  as  I  can.     D n  all  thieves,  say  I,  don't 

you?" 

And  Jesse  actually  turned  around  with  the  two 
pursuers  of  the  robbers,  in  pursuit  of  another  posse 
of  pursuers  which  Jesse  had  been  enabled  accurately 
to  describe  by  having  seen  them  pass  him  while  lying 
snug  in  a  dense  thicket. 

"They  might  catch  the  robbers,  an'  as  he'd  have  a 
sheer  ov  the  reward,  it  would  be  better'n  nothing  at 
all  fur  his  stolin  bosses." 

For  miles  Jesse  rode  with  them,  till,  coming  near 
a  railway  station,  he  begged  to  be  excused  on  the 
ground  that  his  horse  was  becoming  lame.  His  ex- 
cuse was  accepted  and  he  left  the  pursuers  to  their 
vain  and  hopeless  pursuit. 

A  thousand  stories  might  be  told  of  a  most  amus- 
ing character  as  to  their  coolness  in  the  very  midst 
of  danger.  One  day,  when  the  whole  of  the  special 
detective  forces  of  St.  Louis  and  Chicago  were  hunt- 
ing them,  they  were  bold  enough  to  traverse  the 
streets  of  St.  Louis,  and  Jesse,  under  the  guise  of 
Mr.  William  Campbell,  is  said  to  have  done  business 
with  a  St.  Louis  bank  that  very  day. 


CHAPTEE  XX. 

KANSAS  AND  STE  GENEVIEVE. 
FAIR  DAY   IN   KANSAS   CITY !— SUDDEN  CHANGE  IN  THE 

day's  diversions !~the  cash-box  stolen!— 
ste.    genevieve  i — the   bank  plun- 
dered!— the  robbers  escape! 

The  bell  rings!  The  curtain  rises  on  a  new  scene. 
It  is  not  a  bank  to  be  raided,  nor  a  murder  to  be 
accomplished,  unless  the  exigencies  of  the  hour  de- 
mand it.  We  are  in  the  midst  of  jocund  merriment. 
It  is  a  time  of  mirth  and  gay  delight!  It  is  Fair 
Da\-  in  Kansas  City.  It  was  a  lovely  Autumn  day, 
September  2Gth,  1872.  It  was  Thursday.  The  great 
day  of  the  Fair,  the  "big  day"  of  the  Kansas  City 
Exposition.  From  early  morning  there  had  been 
a  din  of  drum  and  trumpet  and  gong!  Thousands 
upon  thousands  had  poured  in  from  all  quarters. 
Leavenworth  and  Sedalia,  St.  Joseph  and  Moberly, 
Lawrence  and  Clinton  and  regions  further  removed 
had  sent  in  their  crowded  trains.  All  went  merry 
as  a  marriage  bell!  Subordinate  exhibitors  were 
taking  advantage  of  the  time,  and  under  the  shadow 

(140) 


Kansas  and  Ste.  Geneveive.  141 

of  the  great  exhibition  they  erected  their  side-^ows. 
It  was  wonderful  what  might  be  seen  for  a  dime! 
The  fat  lady  with  the  flowing  beard,  the  calf  with 
five;  legs  and  two  heads,  the  wild  panther  from  the 
trackless  West,  and  a  Tasmanian  devil,  all  for  ten 
cents!  If  you  were  not  satisfied,  the  generous 
showman  declared  you  should  have  your  money 
returned,  and  a  chromo  of  the  Benicia  Boy  thrown 
in  to  comfort  you!  There  was  art  combining  w^ith 
the  wonderful  to  satisfy  the  bucolic  mind!  The 
renowned  and  only  Madame  Spezterini  would  per- 
form on  nine  different  musical  instruments,  and 
would  be  accompanied  by  the  famous  twin  brothers 
Pioeletti,  who  had  performed  before  all  the 
crowned  heads  of  Europe!  All  for  a  dime!  A  most 
enterprising  showman  had  gathered  together  a 
small  menagerie,  and  had  secured  the  services  of  a 
very  fluent  assistant,  whose  power  of  lungs  would 
have  fully  qualified  him  for  a  position  as  missionary 
to  the  deaf.  This  glib,  loud-tongued  showman  over- 
shouted  all  the  rest  of  the  showmen,  and  always 
had  a  large  crowd  listening  to  his  merry  invitations, 
ending  his  urgent  entreaty  in  this  remarkable 
formula : 

"  Walk  up,  ladies  and  gentlemen,  walk  up,  and 
see  the  kangaroo,  the  cockatoo,  the  sea  lion,  the 
white  bear,  the  jumping-jack,  the  laughing  hyena, 
and  the  man-monkey ! " 

With  great  emphasis  on  the  '* man-monkey,"  he 
would  point  at  some  gaping  j^outh  in  the  throng  of 
bystanders,  and  the  whole  crowd  would  go  off  in 


142        The  Life  of  Frank  and  Jesse  James. 

roaring  fits  of  laughter  at  his  evident  discomfiture. 
There  were  viands  of  the  choicest,  pies  with  crusts 
of  adamant,  cakes  that  made  you  think  only  of 
sawdust,  puddings  purporting  to  be  plum-puddings, 
that  looked  like  slabs  of  human  flesh  in  the  worst 
stages  of  smallpox,  the  eating  of  five  cents'  worth 
of  which  would  insure  you  a  vision  of  your  grand- 
mother 

In  the  still  silence  of  the  voiceless  night." 

And  the  drinks — nectar  for  the  gods! — all  for  five 
cents  a  glass!  Pink  libations  that  shone  with  a 
richer  color  than  the  roseate  faces  of  the  maidens 
fair  who  thronged  the  crowded  streets  on  that  bright 
Autumn  day.  The  banners  were  streaming,  the 
music  Avas  thrilling  the  listening  ear.  That  indes- 
cribabl(3  noise  that  only  can  be  made  by  a  vast 
crowd  was  dinning  and  surging  and  swelling. 
There  were  twenty  thousand  people  on  the  Fair 
ground  that  September  afternoon,  and  thirty  thou- 
sand more  were  crowding  and  surging  up  and  down 
the  streets  of  Kansas  City. 

One  of  the  special  features  of  that  afternoon's 
entertainment  was  the  races.  Ethan  Allen  was  to 
;rot  against  a  running  mate  at  five  o'clock.  The 
)eople  were  crowding  into  the  Fair  ground  between 
•our  and  five  in  masses.  The  ticket-sellers  and  the 
^ate-men  were  doing  a  roaring  trade.  Mr.  Hall, 
the  secretary  and  treasurer  of  the  association,  had 
counted  up  the  receipts  of  the  day  and  found  the 
5ame  reached  nearly  $10,000  in  hard  cash.  Ar- 
rangements had  been  made  to  bank  this  money  at 


K(^ii^czs  und  Ste.  Geneveive,  143 

tht?  First  National  Bank,  though  it  was  considerably 
after  banking  hours. 

M^.  Hall  called  one  of  his  trusty  assistants  and 
gave  him  a  tin  box  containing  the  money,  and  sent 
him  to  deposit  it  in  the  bank  according  to  arrange- 
ment. The  idea  of  this  box  being  stolen  in  a  street 
crowded  \n  ith  tens  of  thousands  of  people  was  never 
dreamed  of.  It  would  have  been  regarded  as  quite 
preposterous  to  think  any  one  would  have  the  dar- 
ing to  attempt  so  wild  an  exploit.  The  young  man 
who  had  charge  of  this  box,  started  off  carrying  the 
treasure  in  his  right  hand. 

Just  at  this  moment  the  general  attention  was 
arrested  by  the  clatter  of  hoofs.  Seven  well  armed 
horsemen  rode  along,  among  whom,  it  is  now  uni- 
versally believed  were  Frank  and  Jesse  James  and 
Bob  Younger.  Their  dress  and  manner  were  such, 
that  some  of  the  more  credulous  spectators  thought 
that  this  was  a  part  of  the  show,  and  that  the  man- 
agement had  arranged  for  these  '^ mummers"  or 
^'cowbellians"  as  part  of  the  provided  entertain- 
ment. 

They  were  not  kept  long  in  doubt.  The  strangty 
company  dashed  along,  the  crowd  making  sudden 
way  for  them.  One  little  girl  was  within  a  hairs' 
breadth  of  being  trampled  to  death.  In  a  moment 
Jesse  James  sprang  from  his  horse,  drew  his  pistol 
and  held  it  before  the  face  of  the  luckless  beaier  of 
the  treasure,  while  he  snatched  the  box  from  his 
astonished  grasp;  and  before  either  the  cashier  or 
the  gaping  crowd  could  take  in  the  situation^  the 


144        'File  Life  of  Frank  and  Jesse  James 

aaring  robber  had  re-mounted  his  horse,  and  the 
whole  gang,  with  cocked  pistols  pointed  at  the 
people,  and  swearing  instant  death  to  any  who 
dared  to  interfere  with  them,  swept  away  as  swift 
and  as  mysterious  as  a  whirlwind.  Not  a  shot  was 
fired,  not  a  life  was  lost.  Ten  thousand  dollars,  not 
in  bills  and  bonds,  but  in  hard  cash! 

'^  Clean  work! "  said  one  of  the  robbers  to  his  com- 
rades with  a  shrill  whistle,  as  they  counted  the 
spoils. 

For  even  these  plunderers  preferred  money  un- 
stained by  blood,  if  they  could  so  obtain  it.  But 
money  they  would  have,  and  if  blood  stood  in  the 
way,  then  blood  must  flow. 

A  more  daring  deed  than  this  theft  of  the  cash-box 
at  Kansas  Fair  the  annals  of  crime  does  not  present. 
The  compeers  and  comrades  of  these  wild  raiders 
expressed  their  views  of  the  whole  affair  in  terse 
but  suggestive  language. 

"The  job  was  beautifully  done,"  they  said. 

When  the  robbers  had  escaped — when  the  horse 
was  gone! — the  horse  in  this  case  being  the  cash-box 
— then  there  was  much  ado  about  fastening  the 
stable  door.  The  management  of  the  Fair,  the 
magistrates,  authorities,  the  sheriffs,  the  marshals, 
the  constables,  big-wigs,  little-v/igs  and  bald-heads; 
all  turned  out  to  shout  after  the  lost  horse  and 
look  well  to  the  fastenings  of  said  stable  door. 

Then  there  was  hurrying  and  scurrying  and  hot 
pursuit !  Over  hill  and  over  vale,  by  mountain  and 
valley.     The  constables  raged  and  the  marshalls 


Kansas  and  Ste.  Geneveive.  145 

pwore.  But  raging  and  swearing  was  all  in  vain. 
Ihe  robbers  rode  live  miles  out  of  the  city.  Broke 
open  the  tin  box,  counted  and  divided  the  "  swag  ;" 
then  hanging  the  box  from  the  limb  of  a  tree,  as  a 
daring  sarcastic  relic  of  their  visit  to  Kansas  City, 
they  parted.  Frank  and  Jesse  James  to  their  friends 
in  Jackson  County,  Bob  and  Cole,  Younger  to  Mon- 
egaw  Springs,  where  they  became  the  guests  of 
a  gentleman  rejoicing  in  the  name  of  Theodoric 
Snuffer. 

The  running  of  Ethan  Allan  was  very  tame  that 
afternoon.  Kansas  City  was  in  a  doleful  mood  at 
the  end  of  its  great  fair  da3'.  The  hunters  of  the 
robbers  came  back  vowing  what  they  would  have 
done  if  they  had  caught  the  miscreants,  but  the 
miscreants  they  caught  not.  They  were  willing 
enough  to  cook  the  hare  in  the  most  approved  fash- 
ion, but,  alas  !  the  hare  was  not  caught ! 

With  the  booty  gathered  from  this  daring  feat  the 
bandits  were  put  in  good  financial  position.  So  they 
spent  the  early  part  of  the  winter  of  1872-3  in  grand 
style.  If  they  were  not  quite  clothed  in  purple  and 
fine  linen  they  fared  sumptuously  every  day.  They 
had  a  period  of  the  very  jolliest  hibernation.  They 
ate  of  the  best  and  drank  the  rosiest  wines.  Like 
the  Monks  of  old — 

"They  sang  and  they  laughed, 
And  the  rich  wine  quaffed, 
Till  they  shook  the  olden  wells.'* 

Early  in  th©  spring  of  1873,  Frank  James  and  Jim 


146        Tlie  Life  of  Frank  and  Jesse  James, 

Younger  were  sent  into  Nebraska,  to  gather  all  the 
information  they  could,  relative  to  the  express  ser- 
vice, and  especially  the  shipment  of  bullion  and 
precious  treasure  from  the  West. 

The  remaining  company  began  to  feel  impatient 
of  the  long  delay  of  their  comrades.  So  to  break 
up  the  monotony  and  replenish  the  failing  coffers  of 
the  gang,  Jesse  James,  Bill  Chadwell,  Clell  Miller, 
and  Bob  and  Cole  Younger  resolved  on  one  more 
bank  robbery.  The  Savings  Association  Bank  of 
Ste.  Genevieve  was  fixed  upn  as  the  scene  of  their 
lawless  endeavors. 

Ste.  Genevieve  is  a  grand  old  Catholic  town,  of 
Missouri.  It  is  more  than  a  century  old.  The  home 
and  scene  of  French  Catholic  taste  and  politeness. 
"More  than  a  century  ago,"  says  a  distinguished 
author,  "it  was  a  beacon-light  of  civilization  in  the 
midst  of  the  vast  wilderness  then  known  as  the 
'  Far  West.'  Ste  Genevieve  has  all  the  signs  of 
taste  and  beauty  that  would  remind  the  traveler  of 
the  Rhone  and  the  Saone.  It  is  a  perfect  garden  of 
beauty  and  freshness.  And  the  dwellers  in  this 
Missouri  paradise,  were  a  wise,  thrifty  people,  and 
their  savings  bank  was  known  to  contain  often  as 
much  as  $100,000 — the  accumularted  savings  of  a 
well-to-do  thrifty  community." 

It  was  a  beautiful  spring  morning,  the  27th  of 
May,  1873,  Ste.  Genevieve  was  looking  its  very  lov- 
liest.  The  whole  air  was  perfume-laden  with  "Shar- 
on's dewy  rose."  Mr.  0.  D.  Harris,  the  cashier  of 
the  bank,  accompanied  by  F.  A.   Rozier,  a  son  of 


Kansas  and  Ste.  Geneveive.  147 

the  Hon.  Forman  A.  Rozier,  the  president  of  the 
bank,  had  left  his  garden  home  all  bright  and  cheer- 
ful, little  dreaming  what  an  episode  was  at  hand. 
The  cashier  and  his  young  companion  arrived  at 
the  bank,  the  door  swung  open  and  suddenly  Mr. 
Harris  and  young  Rozier  were  confronted  by  four 
armed  men  and  accosted  thus  : — 

^'  We  have  come  to  help  you  open  the  bank.  Open 
the  safe  instantly,  d — n  you,  we  have  no  time  to 
lose." 

*'  I  am  helpless  and  cannot  resist  you,"  replied  the 
overpowered  Mr.  Harris. 

Meantime  another  of  the  robbers  pointed  a  pistol 
at  the  head  of  young  Rozier,  and  called  out : 

''  You  keep  still,  you  d— d  little  rat,  if  you  don't 
want  to  have  your  brains  blown  out  in  an  instant  !" 

"  I  ?  What  for  ?"  asked  the  young  clerk,  who  had 
shown  signs  of  desiring  to  create  an  alarm. 

''  Not  another  word,  young  devil,"  said  his  stern- 
faced  foe,  "  that's  enough  !  A  blabbing  tongue  can 
be  stopped,  d— d  easy." 

Taking  the  advantage  of  the  moment  and  desiring 
that  these  strange  visitors  should  have  all  his  room 
and  none  of  his  company,  he  made  a  bold  leap  and 
sprang  down  the  steps  of  the  bank  into  the  street. 
As  he  fled  the  fellow  fired  at  him  and  cried.  *'  Halt! 
ha,lt!    You  wretched  young  cuss!" 

The  bullet  tore  through  the  shoulder  of  his  coat 
and  grazed  his  chin. 

The  report  of  the  bullet  roused  the  attention  of  a 
gentleman  opposite,  who  seized  his  gun  and  was 


148        The  Life  of  Frank  and  Jesse  James, 

about  to  join  the  fray  in  defense  of  Mr.  Harris.  But 
the  good  man's  wife  must  have  been  a  lineal  de- 
scendant of  Pilate's  wife,  for  she  exhorted  her 
spouse  to  mind  his  own  business.  Like  a  wise  man 
he  obeyed,  and  doing  so  probably  saved  his  own  life 
and  that  of  Mr.  Harris. 

By  this  time  the  safe  was  opened.  But  the  rob- 
bers were  much  disappointed,  for  instead  of  making 
a  haul  of  something  like  $80,000  or  $100,000,  the} 
only  secured  booty  to  the  extent  of  about  $8,500. 
Mr.  Harris  was  then  relieved  of  a  beautiful  gola 
watch  which  he  wore.  And  the  robbers  then  started 
away. 

Just  as  they  were  leaving  the  city  one  of  the 
horses  of  the  robbers  ran  away  and  the  bag  contain- 
ing their  ill-gotten  gains  broke  in  the  street.  It  was 
but  the  work  of  a  moment  to  lay  violent  hands  on  a 
German  farmer  who  had  a  wagon  and  team.  They 
made  him,  under  threat  of  instant  death,  ride  after 
the  runaway  horse,  the  rest  of  them  guarding  the 
treasure  till  his  return.  The  citizens  were  waking 
up  to  the  condition  of  things  and  began  to  arm  and 
prepare  for  a  battle.  But  the  German  farmer  re- 
turned with  the  runaway  horse.  And  the  robbers 
mounted  and  rode  off.  A  dozen  men  were  by  this 
time  ready  for  pursuit  and  they  gave  chase  and 
came  very  near  to  the  runaways.  The  company  of 
plunderers  turned  and,  facing  their  pursuers,  swore 
by  everything  that  was  terrible,  that  if  they  came 
one  step  nearer  they  would  shoot  them  dead.  The 
wise  and  heroic  twelve  at  once  returned. 


Kansas  and  Ste.  Geneveive.  149 

There  was  the  usual  organized  search  with  the 
usual  vigorous  proceedings  and  the  usual  utter  fail- 
ure. It  was  said  that  a  man  had  been  seen  who 
looked  very  much  like  a  robber.  But  that  was 
almost  as  definite  as  the  Scotchman's  declaration, 
that  he  had  "once  seen  the  Duke  of  Argyle,  or  a 
tiiixn  that  looked  unco— like  him." 


CHAPTEE  XXI. 

TRAIN-WRECKING. 

THE    COUNCIL    OF  JULY  —  A    NEW    DEPARTURE  —  THE 

WATCHERS  FOR  THE  TRAIN— DAY   DAWN— SUNDAY, 

JULY  21ST,  1873 — THE  TRAIN  WRECKED— 

THE  PASSENGERS  ROBBED. 

After  Ste.  Genevieve  came  a  brief  respite.  The 
fearless  raiders  had  not  spent  the  days  in  entire 
idleness,  if  they  had  spent  them  in  luxury.  They 
were  busy  enough  forming  plans  for  the  future. 
The  results  of  the  pioneer  journey  of  Frank  James 
and  Bill  Younger  into  Nebraska  were  now  under 
consideration.  The  method  of  bank  raiding  was 
growing  quite  monotonous.  They  longed  for  some 
novelty  to  be  imported  into  their  robber  experience. 
Early  in  the  month  of  July — the  Jameses  and  the 
Youngers  and  Robert  Moore — a  new  importation — a 
desperado  from  the  Indian  territory,  held  a  council 
of  war  in  Jackson  County,  Missouri. 

The  subject  for  considf^ration  was  to  find  the  best 
and  most  successful  method  of  robbing  a  railway 
train.  The  first  scheme  to  rob  a  train  on  the  Han- 
nibal &  St.  Joe  railway  was  rejected.    The  pros  and 

(150) 


Train-Wrecking.  151 

cons  were  fully  gone  into  and  it  was  at  last  deter- 
mined to  make  Iowa  the  scene  of  this  first  train- 
wrecking  experiment.  For  it  was  an  experiment ,: 
just  as  truly  as  any  new  departure  in  a  mercantile 
firm  may  be  considered  an  experiment.  There  was 
a  good  deal  to  be  considered,  and  only  cold-blooded 
men  who  set  no  important  value  on  human  life 
could  have  entertained  such  diabolical  plans.  The 
robbery  of  a  bank  only  involved  the  murder  of  a  few 
persons.  But  to  deliberately  wreck  a  train,  and  an 
express  train,  would  probably  insure  the  loss  of  many 
lives,  and  would  most  certainly  jeopardize  the  lives 
of  every  passenger  on  the  train. 

Hitherto  these  followers  of  Quantrell  had  counted 
it  as  a  part  of  their  high  moral  code,  never  to  in- 
volve in  their  schemes  women  or  children.  The 
purity  of  the  former  and  the  helplessness  of  the  lat- 
ter were  to  be  held  sacred.  But  in  this  devilish 
scheme  for  train  wrecking  women  and  children 
were  equally  involved.  And  to  overlook  these  con* 
oiderations  was  to  violate  what  Quantrell  would 
have  called  ''the  dignity  of  honorable  warfare." 
Before  the  early  July  council  closed  the  plans  were 
fully  matured. 

Comanche  Tony — a  desperate  Texan  ranger — was 
added  to  the  plundering  brotherhood ;  on  the  night 
of  Saturday,  July  30th,  1873,  the  gang,  comprising 
the  James  boys,  the  Youngers,  Bob  Moore,  and  this 
Texan  Tony,  met — each  of  course,  coming  different 
ways — at  a  point  about  fourteen  miles  east  of  the 
city  of  Council  BJuffs  on  the  Chicago,  Rock  Island 


152        The  Life  of  Frank  and  Jesse  James. 

&  Pacific  railway,  and  each  wide  awake  for  a  stake. 

They  met  under  the  cover  of  the  night,  selected 
the  exact  spot  for  their  direful  work.  They  deter- 
mined to  wreck  the  morning  express  train  bound 
eastward  ;  supposing  it  would  carry  a  great  mass  of 
bullion  from  the  gold  fields  of  California.  The  rob- 
bers hoped  for  gold.  Silver  was  too  cumbersome  : 
as  was  afterwards  proved  again  and  again  from  the 
fact  that  in  subsequent  train  robberies  they  have 
deliberately  spurned  bars  and  bricks  of  silver,  and 
have  left  them  on  the  floor  as  "too  heavy  to  be 
bothered  with."  But  gold  I  They  wanted  gold  !  In 
any  shape  or  form,  or  coin.     They  wanted  gold  I 

The  train  was  due  to  pass  their  point  of  ambush 
about  three  o'clock  in  the  morning.  All  night  they 
waited  and  watched  scarcely  exchanging  a  word 
with  each  other,  and  when  they  did,  not  above  a 
whisper.  Three  or  four  rails  were  loosened  and  torn 
from  their  places,  Several  cross  ties  were  placed  in 
position  to  be  used  the  moment  they  were  required. 
They  w^orked  and  watched  and  waited  in  silence. 
They  had  chosen  a  most  suitable  spot.  It  was  four- 
teen miles  from  Council  Bluffs,  six  miles  from  Adair, 
and  about  the  same  distance  from  Des  Moines. 
There  was  not  a  single  human  habitation  for  miles 
around. 

It  was  day  dawn  on  that  summer  Sabbath  morn- 
ing. Such  a  summer  dawn  as  can  only  be  seen  in 
these  glorious  Western  regions.  The  roseate  hues 
flashed  all  the  eastern  sky,  and  from  their  secret 
lairs  crept  the  murderous  robber  J)rood,  to  deeds  of 


Train-  Wrecking.  1 53 

plunder  and  of  blood,  despite  the  holiness  of  the  day. 

Th^  rumbling  of  the  train  was  heard  in  the  dis- 
tance The  gang  set  to  work  with  awful  dogged 
detenix/nation.  As  the  train  crossed  the  Turkey 
Creek  bridge,  the  loosened  rails  were  thrown  apart, 
and  hah  a  dozen  cross  ties  were  thrown  across  the 
track  jusc  above. 

The  glaring  headlight  showed  to  the  vigilant  eye 
of  John  Rafferty,  the  trusty  engineer  of  the  train, 
the  danger  ahead! 

But  he  saw  too  late  ! 

The  train  was  speeding  to  its  doom  at  the  rate  of 
twenty-five  miles  an  hour  ! 

"My  god,  the  rails  move!"  yelled  John  Rafferty  to 
his  fireman. 

With  this  wild  cry  on  his  lips,  and  a  wilder  look 
in  his  eye,  tht;  brave  engineer  reversed  the  engine 
and  applied  the  air-brakes.  But  it  was  in  vain  !  The 
gigantic  wheels  sped  over  the  sixty  feet  of  firm  iron 
that  lay  before  them,  the  engine  like  a,  wild  demon 
goaded  on  to  madness  ploughed  into  the  bank  and 
rolled  over  on  its  side. 

The  air-brakes  had  stopped  the  train,  but  the  con- 
cussion had  killed  the  valiant  Rafferty,  who  lay 
with  upturned  face  dead  on  that  bright  summer 
Sunday  morning  !     Dead  because  he  did  his  duty  ! 

Then  followed  a  scene  of  indescribable  confusion 
and  horror  !  Amid  the  screams  and  cries  of  half- 
awakened  women  and  children,  the  robbers  set  to 
w^ork,  yelling — not  like  Indians  in  honorable  war- 
fare— but  rather  like  demons  set  on  fire  with  the 


154        The  Life  of  Frank  and  Jesse  James, 

madness  of  hell,  these  desperadoes  rushed  forth  dis- 
charging  their  pistols  through  the  coach  windows, 
demanding  in  the  most  lordly  style  that  every  pas- 
senger should  keep  still.  They  then  rushed  into  the 
cars  firing  over  the  heads  of  the  inmates  to  alarm 
and  terrify  them.  If  any  man  ventured  to  go  for- 
ward or  leave  his  seat  under  any  pretense  a  revolver 
was  held  before  his  face  and  a  threat  supported  by 
an  awful  oath  that  if  he  dared  to  wink  an  eyelid  he 
should  die  the  death  of  a  dog. 

The  express  car  was  broken  into,  and  the  mes- 
senger in  charge  had  his  arm  broken  and  w^as  forced 
to  unlock  the  safe.  The  robbers  secured  some  $G000. 
And  the  poor  guardian  of  the  mails  had  his  watch 
taken  and  ten  dollars,  the  onh^  money  he  possessed. 
After  this  every  passenger  was  searched  and  robbed 
of  money  and  jewelry.  The  spoils  were  put  in  a 
sack  and  the  masked  robbers  sought  their  horses, 
and  as  the  light  broadened  that  peaceful  summer 
morning  they  took  their  way  southward,  $25,000 
richer  for  their  dreadful  exploit. 

A  most  determined  search  was  instituted.  The 
robbers  were  tracked  to  Clare  County,  Missouri,  but 
there  every  trace  of  them  was  lost.  The  successful 
raiders  were  safe  in  their  hiding  place. 

A  reward  of  $50,000  was  offered  for  their  arrest. 
But  it  was  offered  in  vain. 


CHAPTER  XXIL 

.  THE  ROBBER  BROOD  IN  ARKANSAS 

ROBBING      INVALIDS — THE      GAINS       PLACE      STAGE— A 
MYSTIC  CIRCLE — A  STRANGE  BILL  OF  MER- 
CHANDISE— SHAMELESS  TAUNTS 
AND   INSULTS. 

l.'he  robbers  of  the  West  grew  in  grace,  or  rather 
in  the  shameful  disgrace  of  their  craft.  The  early 
friends  of  the  James  brothers  were  most  enthusiastic 
in  their  declaration  for  years  that  Frank  and  Jesse 
would  murder  to  avenge  a  cause  or  to  retaliate  for 
wrongs  inflicted,  but  they  would  never  under  any 
circumstances  rob.  And  again  and  again  they  most 
vigorously  defended  them  from  any  participation 
whatever  in  the  train  robberies  already  recorded  in 
these  pages.  It  was  impossible  they  could  have 
been  at  these  places  at  the  times  specified,  and 
moreover  they  were  not  men  greedy  of  plunder. 
They  were  bold,  valiant,  adventureous  !  But  stoop 
to  anything  so  low  as  vulgar  robbery  !  Never ! 
They  were  gentlemen,  heroes  if  you  will;  but 
thiev*js  !    Never  ! 

(155) 


156        The  Life  of  Frank  and  Jesse  James, 

Whatever  may  have  been  the  high  heroic  resolves 
of  Frank  and  Jesse  James  in  the  early  days  of  their 
lawless  career,  they  were  fast  becoming  robbers  of 
the  wildest  and  most  cruel  kind.  It  was  true  for 
them  with  a  vengeance.  ''Facilis  decensus  averniJ^ 
The  way  down  was  easily  and  swiftly  traveled. 
From  robbing  banks  to  wrecking  trains  w^as  but  a 
step,  and  now  a  more  shameful  robbery  than  all  has 
to  be  recorded. 

The  robbery  of  the  sick,  the  invalided  and  tho 
helpless  is  cowardly  and  cruel  in  the  extreme.  There 
is  not  one  gleam  of  boldness  to  redeem  this  robbery 
from  unqualified  disgrace. 

In  December,  1873,  a  council  of  the  bandits  was 
held  near  the  Big  Blue  in  Jackson  County.  It  was 
resolved  to  attempt  a  stage  robbery,  and  the  line 
between  Malvern  and  Hot  Springs  was  decided  up- 
on. And  in  spite  of  all  attempts  at  the  time  to  clear 
the  James  brothers  of  a  share  in  the  exploit,  it  is 
now  abundantly  established  that  the  small,  heartless 
gang  who  accomplished  this  deed  consisted  of  Frank 
and  Jesse  James,  Coleman  and  James  Younger  and 
Clell  Miller. 

On  the  15th  of  January,  1874,  the  regular  stage 
running  from  Malvern  on  the  St.  Louis,  Iron  Moun- 
tain &  Southern  Railway  to  Hot  Springs  had  two 
ambulances  for  the  sick  invalids  who  were  seeking 
such  relief  from  their  sufferings  as  the  Hot  Springs 
could  afford.  Already  the  Hot  Springs,  the  Baden 
Baden  of  America,  had  gained  a  great  reputation 
and  was  the  resort  of  the  afflicted  from  all  quarters. 


The  Bobber  Brood  in  Arkansas.  157 

It  was,  however,  the  resort  of  the  wealtliy,  not  of 
the  poor.  The  suffering  pilgrims  were  of  the  well- 
to-do  class,  and  the  wealthy  sick  are  always  good 
game  for  robhers. 

The  robbers  took  advantage  of  these  facts.  And 
as  the  cavalcade  proceeded  quietly  on  its  way  it 
came  to  a  most  picturesque  little  spot  called  Sulphur 
Vale,  near  the  old  Gains  mansion  and  about  five 
miles  from  Hot  Springs.  The  stage  stayed  for  a  few 
moments  in  order  that  the  horses  might  quench 
their  thirst  from  the  waters  of  the  Sulphur,  after 
which  the  whole  company  proceeded  on  their  jour- 
nes.  They  had  not  gone  more  than  a  mile  from  the 
watering  place  when  the  driver  of  the  stage  was 
suddenly  accosted. 

"Stop  !     stop  I  or  I'll  blow  your  head  off  I" 

With  this  unceremonious  challenge,  five  men, 
dressed  in  Federal  uniform,  sprang  from  their  am- 
bush, each  with  cocked  revolvers  in  their  hands, 
threatening  the  lives  of  every  passenger  who  dared 
to  resist  them.  Of  course  the  passengers  were  struck 
dumb  with  consternation  and  terror.  Presence  of 
mind  is  an  uncommonly  good  thing  but  by  no  means 
common  under  such  circumstances. 

'Come,  d n  you.     Tumble  out  quick,  we   have 

no  time  to  spare  !"  was  the  order  of  the  foremost 
robber 

"Oh,  certainly  !"  said  a  Mr.  Charles  Morse,  "We 
can  do  nothing  else." 

"I  am  paralyzed  in  my  legs  and  cannot  walk,'' 
cried  a  poor  old  victim  of  rheumatism  within   the 


J 8        The  Life  of  Frank  and  Jesse  James, 

stage,  as  the  other  passengers  came  tumbling  out. 

"Never  mind  I  Stay  where  you  are,"  was  the  re- 
ply. 

The  stage  was  emptied,  save  of  the  one   lame   old 

gentleman.  The  rest  of  the  passengers  were  ordered, 
with  oaths  and  tlireats,and  with  pointed  revolvers  to 
confirm  the  threats,  to  form  in  a  circle  and  hold  up 
their  hands,  which  they  did  without  delay. 

The  brigands  then  began  to  search,  examine  and 
rob  every  passenger.  Not  one  escaped,  and  not  one 
seemed  equal  to  offering  the  least  resistance  or 
making  the  slightest  remonstrance.  The  net  result 
in  money  and  valuable  approximated  the  sum  of 
$4,000.  The  following  may  serve  to  show  in  detail 
the  strangest  bill  of  merchandise  ever  made  out. 

THE   SPOILS   OF   ONE   MORNING'S   ROBBERY. 
Ex-Go V.  Burbank,  of  Dakota,  cash,         .        .        . 

"  '•  "        diamond  pin, 

"  "  ;'        gold  watch, 

Passenger  from  Syracuse,  N.  Y.,        ...        - 
John  Dietrich,  Esq.,  Little  Rock.  Ark., 
AVilliam  Taylor,  Esq.,  Lowell,  Mass.,        -        -        - 

Charles  Moore,  Esq., 

E.  A.  Peebles,  Hot  Springs, 

Three  country  farmers.K'Jf-        -        -        -        -        - 

Southern  Express  Company,  -        ..        -        - 

Geo.  R.  Crump,  Memphis,  Tenn.,        -        -        -        - 

Total, $3,090  00 

"  Not  a  bad  morning's  work,"  says  one  who  counts 
only  the  gains  of  the  robbers.  But  might  not  these 
men  have  earned  more  by  honorable  toil  than  by 
this  sad  course  of  life? 


$850  00 

350  00 

250  00 

160  00 

200  00 

650  00 

70  00 

•   20  00 

.   45  00 

450  00 

45  00 

The  Bobber  Brood  in  Arkansas.  159 

Having  made  quite  certain  that  none  of  the  pas- 
sengers were  armed,  the  robbers  next  indulged  in 
grim  and  untimely  jests  at  the  expense  of  the  plun- 
dered invalids.  The  fright  of  the  travelers  was 
greatly  intensified  by  the  blood-chilling  threats  of 
the  desperadoes.  They  jested  with  one  another  and 
made  banters  to  test  their  skill  as  pistol  shots  on  the 
trembling  and  unarmed  passengers.  ''Now,"  said 
Frank  James  to  Cole  Younger,  "  I  will  bet  you  the 
contents  of  that  fellow's  pocket-book,"  pointing  to 
one  of  the  travelers,  who  was  a  small  tradesman  at 
Little  Rock,  "that  I  canjshoot  off  a  smaller  bit  out 
of  his  right  ear  tnan  you  can."  "I'll  take  the 
wager,"  responded  Cole,  "but  you  must  let  me  have 
the  first  shot,  because  my  eyesight  is  not  as  good  as 
yours,  and  if  you  should  hit  his  ear  first  the  blood 
might  confuse  my  aim."  Frank  insisted  on  shoot- 
ing first,  and  in  the  wrangle  the  poor  victim  trembled 
until  he  could  scarcely  retain  his  feet,  and  with  the 
most  prayerful  entreaties  begged  the  robbers  to  take 
what  he  had  but  spare  his  life. 

The  rheumatic  old  gentleman  was  very  nervous, 
and  so  to  conciliate  the  robbers  he  begged  to  know 
to  whom  he  should  give  the  money.  This  somewhat 
amused  them,  and  they  agreed  that  he  should  re- 
tain his  pocket-book  and  its  contents.  One  of  the 
passengers  named  Crump  was  examined  by  Jesse 
James.  He  had  been  a  soldier  and  had  fought  in 
the  late  war. 

"On  what  side?"  asked  Jesse, 

"On  the  Confederate  side,  to  be  sure!"  respond    d 


IGO        The  Life  of  Frank  and  Jesse  James. 

the  wary  invalid,  thinking  that  the  safest  reply. 

"Well,  you  look  like  an  honest  fellow,"  saidJesse. 
''I  guess  you're  all  right.  We  don't  want  to  roh 
Confederate  soldiers.  But  the  d — d  Yankees  have 
driven  us  all  into  outlawry,  and  we  will  make  them 
pay  for  it  yet." 

The  rohhers  never  liked  newspaper  men.  Editors, 
reporters  and  journalists,  of  whatever  sort  and 
•order,  they  utterly  abhorred.  The  limbs  of  the  law 
they  dispised.  Detectives  they  laughed  to  scorn; 
but '^  damn  all  editors  and  reporters,"  was  one  of 
their  favorite  expressions. 

There  was,  unluckily  for  himself,  an  editor 
amongst  this  company  of  sick  people,  Mr.  Taylor,  of 
Lowell,  Mass.  He,  of  course,  had  to  midergo  a 
rigid  examination. 

"Where  are  you  from?" 

"St.  Louis."' 

"Yes,  and  d — n  your  soul,  you  are  a  reporter  for 
the  St.  Louis  Democrat,  the  vilest  sheet  in  the  land. 
Go  to  Hot  Springs  and  send  the  dirty  concern  a  tel- 
egram about  this  affair,  and  give  them  my  compli- 
ments, will  you?" 

At  this  point  Governor  Burbank  begged  that  his 
papers  might  be  returned  to  him,  on  the  ground  that 
they  could  not  possibly  be  any  good  to  the  robbers, 
but  were  invaluable  to  him.  A  very  lengthy ^ exam- 
ination took  place,  which  almost  cost  the  Governor 
his  life,  for  some  papers  attracted  the  attention  of 
Jesse  James  which  led  him  to  think  the  Governor 
was  only  a  detective  in  disguise.     Satisfied  on  this 


The  Robber  Brood  in  Arkansas.  161 

point,  he  was  permitted  to  pass  on  without  more  ado. 

All  this  while  one  of  the  robbers,  said  to  have  been 
Jlxmes  Younger,  held  a  double-barrel  shot-gun 
<;ocked  in  his  hand, which  he  pointed  ever  and  anon 
at  Mr.  Taylor,  the  supposed  Democrat  reporter, 
making  such  cheerful  remarks  as  these:  ''  Boys,  I'll 
bet  a  hundred  dollar  bill  I  can  shoot  his  hat  off  his 
head  and  not  touch  a  hair  on  it."'  And  the  others 
would  respond  with  a  banter  of  a  very  uncomfort- 
able character,  while  the  facetious  bandit  went  on: 
"'  Now,  wouldn't  that  button  on  his  coat  make  a  good 
mark.  I'll  bet  a  dollar  I  can  clip  it  oft'  and  not  cut 
the  coat?" 

At  last,  wearied  of  this  diabolical  sport,  the  rob- 
bers bade  the  robbed  company  good  morning. 
Frank  James  raising  his  hat  in  most  graceful  style, 
saying:  '' The  procession  will  now  move  on.  We 
can  assure  you,  gentlemen,  we  have  had  the  great- 
est pleasure  in  meeting  you.  I  am  compelled  to 
say,  however,  most  reluctantly,  that  we  hope  never 
to  meet  you  again!  I  am  like  lightning.  I  don't 
want  to  strike  the  same  parties  twice.  Adieu, 
gentlemen,  adieu!" 

When  the  travelers  reached  Hot  Springs  they  were 
in  a  sorry  plight,  not  one  of  them  having  enough 
money  to  send  a  message  home  for  additional  funds, 
but  the  citizens  kindly  provided  for  their  wants  and 
exhibited  much  sympathy,  but  little  or  no  attempt 
was  made  to  capture  the  highwaymen.  Indeed,  any 
such  effort  would  have  undoubtedly  terminated 
fruitlessly,  for,  in  addition  to  the  cunning  and  bra- 


162        Tlie  Life  of  Frank  and  Jesse  James, 

very  of  the  bandits,  the  mountainous  nature  of  the 
country  would  have  prevented  a  pursuing  party 
from  making  up  the  time  lost  in  reporting  the  cir- 
cum.stances  of  the  robbery. 


CHAPTER  XX  III 

ANOTHER  TRAIN  WRECKED  AND  ROBBED. 

OADSHILL — THE    STATION    AGENTS    MADE    PRISONERS— 

THE  TRAIN  BOARDED — A  CLEAN   SWEEP — THEY 

WANT   TO   ROAST    PINKERTON'S   HEART 

— THE  ORGANIZED  HUNT  FOR 

THE  DESPARADOES. 

"Within  a  month,  a  little  month"  or  ere  the 
memory  of  the  Gains'  Place  Stage  robbery  had  sub- 
sided, the  robbers  were  at  their  tasks  again. 

This  time  a  train  was  to  be  wrecked  and  robbed. 
The  train  selected  was  the  St.  Louis  &  Texas  Ex- 
press, and  the  place  for  the  exploit  was  a  little  lonely 
flag-station  on  the  Iron  Mountain  road  about  a 
hundred  miles  south  of  St.  Louis,  and  about  seven 
miles  from  Piedmont,  just  where  Shepherd  Mountain 
and  the  Pilot  Knob  stand  lofty  guardians  of  the  lone- 
ly vale  of  Arcadia. 

It  was  in  the  very  depth  of  winter,  January  31st. 
1874.  The  cold  biting  wintry  day  was  closing.  About 
half  past  three  o'clock  in  the  afternoon  a  company 
of  seven  men  splendidly  mounted  and  well  armed 

(163) 


164        The  Life  of  Frank  and  Jesse  James. 

came  to  the  lonely  flag-station  of  Gadshill.  The 
only  inhabitants  of  that  bleak  region  were  a  station 
agent,  a  blacksmith,  and  two  or  three  countrymen. 
It  did  not  take  long  to  place  this  small  community 
under  arrest,  and  by  the  usual  threats  of  violence  to 
ensure  their  silence.  The  train  was  to  be  boarded  in 
this  quiet  uninhabited  spot  where  it  was  utterly  im- 
possible to  give  anything  like  an  effective  alarm. 
With  the  tools  from  the  blacksmith's  shop  they 
securely  imprisoned  their  captives,  and  then  set  to 
work  to  prepare  for  the  coming  train. 

The  signal  flag  was  displayed,  and  the  switch 
opened,  so  that  the  train  would  be  inevitably  ditched 
if  it  attempted  to  pass.  Everything  being  in  order, 
the  robbers  waited  for  their  unsuspecting  prey. 

The  train  left  the  Plum  street  depot,  St.  Louis 
about  9.30  o'clock  in  the  morning  and  was  not  due 
till  5.40  o'clock  in  the  evening.  The  train  was  in 
charge  of  Mr.  C.  A.  Alf ord  and  was  well  loaded  with 
passengers  and  express  freight.  The  day  wore  on 
wearily  enough.  The  long  journey  was  tiresome  as 
all  long  journeys  are,  except  to  people  who  always 
want  the  worth  of  their  money,  like  the  canny 
Scotchman  who  in  answer  to  the  complaint  that  the 
journey  for  London  to  Aberdeen  was  along  journey 
responded: 

"  An'  sae  it  aught  to  be,  it  costs  twa  pund  twelve  I" 

True  to  time  the  luckless  Texas  express  drew  near 
the  Gadshill  station.  The  shadows  of  twilight  had 
deepened  into  darkness.  All  was  mete  and  fit  for 
the  darker  deeds  to  be  perpetrated.    The  train  came 


Another  Train  Wrecked  and  Robbed.        165 

bowling  along,  and  the  engineer  seeing  the  danger 
signal  ahead  brought  the  train  to  a  stand  still  at  the 
littl-e  station.  No  one  was  seen  on  the  platform. 
But  in  a  moment  Cole  Younger  mounted  the  cab  of 
the  engine,  and  at  the  point  of  the  pistol  drew  off  the 
engineer  and  fireman  in  terror  of  their  lives. 

Mr.  Alford  the  conductor  immediately  left  the 
train  to  see  what  passengers  were  waiting  to  board 
her  when  he  was  met  with  this  gentle  demand. 

'^  Give  up  your  money  and  your  watch  d n  your 

soul  and  quick!" 

Mr.  Alford  gave  up  about  $50  he  had  in  his  posses- 
sion and  an  elegant  gold  watch.  And  then  he  was 
hustled  most  unceremoniously  into  the  little  station 
house  that  had  become  a  prison. 

"Get  in  there  and  be  quiet  d n  you,"  was  all 

the  brief  instruction  of  the  moment. 

The  train  was  now  wholly  in  the  hands  of  the  rob- 
bers. And  most  effectively  they  managed  their 
work.  Terrifying  the  passengers  by  threats  and 
pistorshots  they  induced  them  with  very  little  hesita- 
tion to  give  up  all  the  valuables  they  possessed. 

One  peculiar  feature  of  this  raid  was  that  the  rob- 
bers insisted  on  knowing  the  names  of  their  victims. 
The  timid  pilgrims  readily  gave  their  names.  But 
one  bolder  than  the  rest  was  curious  to  know  why 
the  name  was  demanded. 

"  What  is  your  name  I"  asked  one  of  the  brigands 
of  a  Mr.  Newell  who  was  on  the  train. 

''  What  do  you  want  to  know  that  for?" 

«f  D n  you,  out  with  your  name,  and  ask  ques- 


166        The  Life  of  Frank  and  Jesse  James, 

tions  afterward!"  was  the  profane  reply  he  received. 

"  Well,  my  name  is  Newell,  and  here  is  my  money, 
and  now  I  want  to  know  why  you  ask  me  for  my 
name?"  said  Mr.  Newell  with  an  attempt  at  pleas- 
antry, fortified  by  a  sort  of  grim  smile. 
.  ''You  seem  to  be  a  sort  of  jolly  coon,  anyhow," 
said  the  robber,  "and  I'll  gratify  you.  That  old 
scoundrel,  Pinkerton,  is  on  this  train,  or  was  to  have 
been  on  it,  and  we  want  to  get  him,  so  that  we  can 
cut  out  his  heart  and  roast  it." 

The  boys  had  a  mortal  hatred  of  Pinkerton  and  all 
the  detective  clan  much  as  they  dispised  them.  And 
no  doubt  if  Mr.  Allan  Pinkerton  had  been  on  board 
and  had  revealed  himself  there  would  have  been  a 
somewhat  tough  encounter.  Yet  it  is  hardly  likely 
that  Pinkerton  would  have  been  so  verdant  as  to 
have  given  his  name. 

The  mail  car  was  next  plundered.  Letters  cut 
open,  one  of  which  contained  $2. 000.  The  total  booty 
ol3tained  by  the  robbers  reached  about  $11,500.  When 
the  robbers  had  effected  their  work  they  released 
Alford  and  ordered  the  engineer  to  proceed  with  the 
train,  which  he  did  at  once.  They  then  mounted 
their  horses  and  rode  away  in  the  darkness,  and  it 
is  said  that  they  rode  sixty  miles  before  they  drew 
rein  or  gave  themselves  any  rest.  Then  putting  up 
at  the  house  of  the  Hon.  Mr.  Mason  a  member  of  the 
State  Legislature  they  demanded  and  obtained  re- 
freshments and  rest. 

The  news  of  the  robbery  was  of  course  telegraphed 
all  along  the  line  and  an  instant  search  was  made. 


Another  Train  Wrecked  and  Bobbed.         KiT 

.'v  large  body  of  well  armed  men  tracked  them  a 
goodly  distance.  But  the  trail  was  lost.  And  in 
poifit  of  fact  hunting  these  robbers  was  a  thankless 
task.  No  commensurate  reward  was  ever  offered. 
And  hunting  these  men,  as  a  skillful  and  travelled 
huntsman  once  said,  was  a  good  deal  like  hunting 
tigers.  It  was  all  very  well  when  you  were  hunting 
the  tiger,  but  when  the  tiger  turned  round  and  begai? 
to  hunt  you  it  was  another  matter  altogether. 


CHAPTER  XXIV. 

AN  EPISODE  AT  BENTONVILLE. 

THE    (COMPANIONS    OF    THE    JAMES    BOYS— HUNTING   IN 
EARNEST — A    MOST    DETERMINED    SEARCH 
UNION   OF   FORCES — A  DARK   TRAGEDY 
NEAR    THEODORIC     SNUFFER'S — 
JOHN  YOUNGER'S  LAST  SHOT. 

Bentoiiville  is  a  quiet  little  town  in  Benton  county, 
Arkansas.  One  of  the  principal  stores — a  sort  of 
omnium  gatherum,  Avhere  everything  from  a  mouse- 
trap to  a  pot  elephant  might  be  obtained — was  kept 
by  Thomas  Craig  &  Son.  This  firm  did  a  first-class 
business  on  a  purely  cash  basis.  On  what  was 
known  as  market  day  the  country  people  from  far 
and  near  would  drive  into  Bentonville,  and  Craig  & 
Son's  store  would  be  crowded  until  four  or  five 
o'clock. 

On  the  afternoon  of  one  of  these  market  days, 
February  11th,  1874,  between  five  and  six  o'clock, 
after  a  splendid  day's  business,  Mr.  Craig  and  his 
son  were  alone  in  the  store,  for  at  this  time  the 
country  people  were  all  well  on  their  way  home. 
The  old  gentleman  was  congratulating  his  son  on 

(168) 


An  Episode  at  Bentonville.  169 

the  day's  successful  dealings,  when  all  at  once  three 
strange  looking  men  entered  the  store. 

*' What  can  I  do  for  you,  gentlemen?"  asked  Mr. 
Craig,  senior,  in  his  bland,  polite  manner,  while  his 
son  Tliomas  came  down  from  the  desk  to  help  serve 
the  strange  customers. 

"You  can  keep  quiet,"  was  the  blunt  answer  of 
the  foremost  of  the  men  as  he  presented  a  revolver 
in  each  hand  and  continued:  ''If  either  of  you 
speak  a  word  or  stir  an  inch  I'll  blow  your  brains  out, 
so  if  you  value  your  d d  lives,  why  be  quiet!" 

Looking  round  the  Craigs  saw  two  other  men 
keeping  guard  at  the  door.  Resistance  was  utterly 
impossible.  The  safe  door  was  open;  it  was  the 
work  of  a  moment  to  rifle  it  of  its  contents.  But 
the  robbers  were  disappointed.  They  expected  to 
make  a  big  haul,  but  the  Craigs  had  banked  all 
their  cash  on  hand  at  four  o'clock,  and  the  safe  only 
contained  about  $150.  This  greatly  disgusted  the 
rogues,  so  they  swept  up  about  $300  worth  of  valua- 
ble silks  and  went  as  quickly  as  they  came,  leaving 
strict  charge  that  if  they  attempted  to  raise  an 
alarm  before  they*had  time  to  leave  the  town,  they 
would  shoot  them  dead  at  sight. 

Having  transacted  their  business  in  this  summary 
manner  they  departed.  There  was  little  doubt  in 
Bentonville  but  the  robbers  were  the  James  gang. 
The  Bentonvillians,  disgusted  that  a  robbery  could 
be  effected  so  quietly  in  their  little  town,  mounted 
and  gave  chase  to  the  robbers,  but  they  returned 
with  disappointment  and  disgust  as  the  only  reward 


170        The  Life  of  Frank  and  Jesse  James. 

of   their  pursuit  of  the  'reckless  seizers  of    silks. 

It  was  quite  clear  that  there  was  a  well  organized 
raiding  confederacy.  All  the  robberies  of  banks,  or 
wrecking  of  trains,  indicated  that  there  was  as 
mucli  shrewdness  and  system  in  their  plans  as  there 
was  boldness  in  their  execution.  Nothing  was  done 
at  a  guess.  Every  detail  was  most  carefully  con- 
sidered, and  hence  the  remarkable  success  that 
attended  these  raids.  But  a  very  natural  question 
arises : 

Of  whom  did  this  confederacy  consist? 

There  were,  to  start  with,  the  Jameses,  Frank  and 
Jesse,  and  the  Younger  brothers.  01  Shepherd  was 
dead,  shot  dead  because  he  would  not  surrender  to 
the  representatives  of  the  law.  His  brother,  George 
W.  Shepherd,  one  of  the  old  followers  of  Quan- 
trell,  had  settled  down  after  the  war,  and  was 
married,  and  lived  in  Chaplin,  Nelson  county, 
Kentucky.  After  the  raid  on  the  Eussellville 
bank  he  was  arrested,  tried,  convicted  and  sen- 
tenced to  a  term  of  three  years  in  the  peniten- 
tiary. He  left  his  wife  at  Chaplin  in  a  house  '^n 
which  he  had  paid  $600  purchasie  money.  On  his 
return  from  the  penitentiary  he  found  that  his 
amiable  wife,  tiring  of  her  loneliness,  had  made 
good  use  of  the  time,  had  obtained  a  divorce,  and 
was  again  married,  having  brought  a  new  husband 
to  the  old  house  at  Chaplin.  This  arrangement  took 
Mr.  Shepherd  a  little  aback.  But  he  looked  at  the 
circumstances  a  little,  and  then  treated  the  whole 
affair  most  philosophically.  Why  should  he  disturb, 


An  Episode  at  BenfonviUe^  17> 

or  attempt  to  disturb,  these  happy  relations?  The 
cat  had  been  away,  the  mice  would  play.  So  he 
left  them  to  their  own  sweet  wills,  and  returned  to 
his  life  of  recklessness  and  shame,  and  there  can  be 
little  doubt  that  George  W.  Shepherd  was  one  of 
the  boldest  of  this  gang  of  desperadoes. 

Bradley  Collins  and  John  Chunk,  two  wild  free- 
booters who  had  wrought  terror  throughout  Texas 
and  the  Indian  Territory,  were  members  of  this 
circle. 

Sid  Wallace  was  a  friend  of  the  James  boys,  and 
had  shared  with  them  many  a  daring  escapade.  He 
was  well  known  for  at  least  eight  years  as  "one  ot 
the  gentlemen  of  the  road."  But  he  was  less  fortu- 
nate than  his  comrades;  he  ended  his  miserable  life 
on  the  scaffold  at  Clarksville,  Arkansas,  in  1874. 

Beside  many  others  who  came  and  went  as  fancy 
led  them,  Cal.  Carter,  Tom  Taylor,  Jim  Clark,  Jim 
Reed,  John  Wes.  Hardin,  Clem  Miller,  Jim  Cum- 
mings,  Jim  Anderson,  Sam  Bass,  and  the  notorious 
Bill  Longley  were  members  of  this  robbing,  mur- 
dering fraternity  which  infested  Missouri,  Kansas, 
Colorado  and  Arkansas. 

The  daring  Gadshill  robbery  created  a  wild-spread 
consternation.  There  was  not  only  danger  for  those 
who  lived  in  the  neighborhood  of  the  haunts  of 
these  robbers,  but  if  trains  were  to  be  boarded  and 
every  passenger  robbed  and  threatened  with  death, 
by  men  who  always  kept  their  dark  vows  to  the 
very  letter,  who  was  safe  ?  The  whole  community 
became  thoroughly  roused,  and  it  was  determined  at 


172        The  Life  of  Frank  and  Jesse  James. 

all  costs  and  risks  to  have  these  robbers  hunted  and 
caught. 

Large  rewards  were  offered  by  Governors  Wood- 
son of  Missouri  and  Baxter  of  Arkansas.  The 
American  Express  Company  spared  neither  money 
nor  pains,  offering  a  very  heavy  reward  for  the  cap- 
turing of  the  bandits.  The  United  States  authorities 
joined  in  the  movement,  and  were  willing  to  pro- 
vide all  necessar}^  sinews  of  war.  The  public  mind 
was  thoroughly  stirred.  It  was  felt  that  this  state 
of  things  was  a  disgrace  to  civilization,  and  that 
just  as  long  as  the  public  left  any  one  stone  unturned 
in  the  way  of  putting  an  end  to  these  depredations, 
the  public  was  to  that  extent  responsible.  So  most 
determined  search  was  resolved  upon. 

Allan  Pinkerton  was  engaged  by  the  Express 
Company.  The  whole  force  of  detectives  was  great- 
ly interested  and  not  a  little  excited.  There  was 
money  to  be  earned  and  a  great  reputation  to  be 
made  if  they  succeeded  in  capturing  these  enemies 
of  peace  and  order.  The  Secret  Service  force  of  the 
United  States  Government  was  ready  to  march  at  a 
moment's  notice,  the  police  and  constabulary  of 
Missouri  and  Arkansas  were  under  orders.  Every- 
thing pointed  in  the  direction  of  success. 

One  company  went  in  search  of  tlie  Youngers. 
John  and  James  Younger  were  known  to  have  re- 
turned to  Roscoe  in  St.  Clair  County.  Their  pocket 
books  were  well  filled  from  the  Gadshill  fray.  The 
whole  detective  force  of  St.  Clair  County  was  out 
under  the  direction  of  Captain  W.  J.  Allen,  whose 


An  Episode  at  Bentonville.  173 

real  name  was  Lull.  Allen  was  one  of  Pinker- 
ton's  most  trusted  men.  Ed.  B.  Daniels  of  Osceola 
•  icted^as  guide,  and  a  shrewd  detective  of  St.  Louis, 
known  as  a  ''  fly  cop,"  and  calling*  himself  Wright, 
made  up  the  party  in  search  of  the  notorious 
Youngers. 

The  three  just  named — Daniels,  Allen,  alias 
Lull,  and  Wright — were  out  riding  one  morning, 
March  Kith,  1874,  near  the  house  of  Theodoric 
Snuffer,  not  far  from  Roscoe.  They  were  convers- 
ing in  a  low  tone  of  voice,  calculating  the  probabili- 
ties of  finding  the  Youngers  either  at  Snuffer's  or  in 
Roscoe.  They  were  startled  by  a  more  sudden  ac- 
quaintance with  the  Youngers  than  they  had  an- 
ticipated. John  and  James  Younger  had  seen  them 
from  the  window  of  Snuffer's  house,  and  instead  of 
hiding  or  seeking  to  escape  they  boldly  determined 
to  go  out  and  meet  them  and  dare  them  to  their 
worst.  So  making  a  short  detour  they  overtook 
these  searching  men  on  the  Chalk  Level  road.  By 
this  time  Wright  had  left  his  companions  and  ridden 
ahead.  Approaching  Lull  and  Daniels  from  the 
rear,  the  elder  of  the  brothers  called  out  in  a  com- 
manding tone  of  voice: 

''Halt !  Hold  up  your  hands  !"  At  the  same  time 
the  two  brothers  presented  their  double-barrel  shot 
guns  full  at  the  breasts  of  their  would-be  captors. 
"  You  d — d  detectives,  you  thought  you  were  not 
known."  said  Jim.  ''Now  drop  your  pistols  this 
moment,  or  by  g — d  we'll  fire  on  you." 
Without  a  moment's  delay  the  detectives  dropped 


174        The  Life  of  Frank  and  Jesse  James. 

their  pistol  belts  in  the  road.  James  Younger  then 
dismounted,  having  his  brother  John  to  keep  their 
foes  at  bay  with  his  gun  while  he  secured  the 
weapons  that  had  just  been  thrown  down  at  his 
command. 

For  a  moment  John,  for  some  inconceivable  rea- 
son, lowered  his  gun.  That  act  sealed  his  doom. 
Captain  Lull  took  advantage  of  the  moment  and 
fired  from  a  revolver  which  he  had  concealed  in  his 
bosom.  The  shot  took  deadly  effect  in  John  Young- 
er's  neck,  severing  the  carrotid  artery.  With  a  wild 
yell  and  the  look  of  a  demon,  John  fired  a  fatal  re- 
tort to  his  adversary,  and  John  Younger  and  Cap- 
tain Lull  both  fell  dead  from  their  horses  in  the 
same  moment.  Daniels  fired  at  James  from  a  con- 
cealed revolver:  a  slight  flesh  wound  was  the  result. 
James,  half  mad  with  pain  and  desperate  at  the 
sight  of  his  dead  brother,  rushed  like  a  tiger  after 
Daniels,  who  was  making  for  the  woods.  He  sent  a 
bullet  crushing  through  his  neck  and  h^d  the  felicity 
of  seeing  him  fall  dead  from  his  horse,  Wright,  the 
St.  Louis  "fly  cop,"  had  dashed  ahead  at  the  first 
cry  of  "Halt!"  and  had  so  spared  his  precious  life. 

James  was  in  an  uncontrolable  agony  because  of 
his  dead  brother.  He  madl}^  kissed  his  cold,  blood- 
stained form,  and  swore  that  he  would  have  a  life 
for  every  drop  of  John's  blood.  He  took  the  pistols 
John  had  used  in  so  many  fatal  fraj^s,  and  leaving 
to  his  friend  Theodoric  Snuffer  the  charge  of  Jolm's 
funeral,  he  rode  away,  sad  and  solitary  and  brood- 
ing vengeance,  to  the  house  of  a  well  tried  friend  in 


An  Episode  cil  Btntlourille.  175 

Boone  County,  Arkansas,  there  to  plan  future  acts. 
Such   was    the  tragic    end  of  the  hunt  for  the 
Youhgers. 


CHAPTER    XXV. 

WICHER,  OF  CHICAGO 

TOHN    W.    WICHER,    OF    CHICAGO— PINKERTON'S    COOL- 
EST,   BRAVEST     MAN — ON     THE     TRACK     OP     JESSE 
JaMES — JIM     LATCHE     SPOTS     THE     DETECTIVE 
AT    LIBERTY — WICHER    TURNED    TRAMP — 
JESSE    AND  WICHER  FACE    TO  FACE — 
**I  WANT   FARM    WORK  TO  DO"— 
WICHER'S      last     RIDE — TOR- 
TURE    AND    DEATH. 

The  position  of  a  detective  is  not  to  be  greatly  en- 
vied. Apart  from  the  peril  that  attends  his  work, 
he  occupies  an  anomalous  position  in  society.  No- 
body makes  a  warm  bosom  friend  of  a  detective. 
Howsoever  successful  he  may  be  in  the  discharge 
of  his  duty,  he  can  hardly  hope  to  be  a  favorite 
amongst  men  or  an  ornament  to  society.  He  may 
succeed  in  hiding  his  calling  from  the  common 
gaze  and  walk  amongst  men  apparently  "unknow- 
ing and  unknown,''  but  the  timid  and  the  cautious 
who  have  no  need  in  the  world  to  be  afraid  will 
always  fight  shy  of  the  detective.  He  is  a  sort  of 
necei3sary  evil  in  the  present  state  of  society.     Not 

(17U) 


Wicker,  of  Chicago^  177 

infrequently,  however,  the  members  of  this  order 
have  proved  themselves  to  be  men  of  downright 
bravery,  as  well  as  shrewd  and  sagacious  observers 
of  men  and  nature. 

The  history  and  experiences  of  Pinkerton's  detec- 
tive force  is  full  of  romance,  and  in  that  remarkable 
body  of  men  there  are  wonderful  combinations  of 
character.  Courage  and  cunning,  reticence  and 
freedom,  a  perfect  knowledge  of  human  nature,  an 
eye  to  see  clear  through  men  and  things  and  to 
understand  the  hidden  and  mysterious  relations  of 
the  commonest  events. 

''  Guess  you  detectives  can  see  through  a  ladder  as 
well  as  most  folks!"  was  the  naive  observation  of  a 
gentleman  who  was  introduced  to  two  or  three  of 
Pinkerton's  men. 

''That's  so,"  replied  one  of  the  detectives,  "and 
what's  more,  we  have  to  see  through  a  ladder  when 
there  isn't  one,  and  worst  of  all  we  have  to  climb  it 
too,  to  the  peril  of  our  necks." 

John  W.  Wicher,  of  Chicago,  was  one  of  Pinker- 
ton's  best  men.  He  was  scarcely  thirty  years  old, 
and  yet  he  had  won  a  reputation  amongst  the  brave 
and  daring,  as  one  of  the  coolest  of  them  all.  He 
was  never  excited,  never  in  a  hurry;  but  once  set  to 
a  task  he  followed  it  calmly  and  doggedly  to  the 
end.  Mr.  William  Pinkerton  regarded  Wicher  as 
one  of  his  most  reliable  and  accomplished  men.  In 
any  dangerous  enterprise  he  would  have  selected 
Wicher  as  the  most  suitable  man  for  a  difficult  and 
daring  part. 


1^8        The  Life  of  Frank  and  Jesse  James. 

Early  in  March,  1874,  it  was  pretty  well  known 
that  the  James  boys  and  others  of  the  gang  of  rob- 
bers were  in  the  neighborhood  of  Kearney,  Clay 
County,  Missouri.  Indeed,  it  was  believed  that  a 
number  of  them  were  staying  at  the  house  of  Dr. 
Samuels.  Being  made  aware  of  this,  Wicher 
formed  the  determination  to  go  and  arrange  for  the 
capture  of  the  gang,  or  at  least  of  the  ring  leaders. 
Accordingly,  on  the  10th  of  March  he  entered  the 
office  of  his  chief  in  Chicago,  and  asked  permission 
to  start  on  his  perilous  journey.  What  plans 
Wicher  had  formed  in  his  own  mind  will  never  be 
fully  known.  Mr.  Pinkerton  pointed  out  to  his 
assistant  the  dangers  before  him,  and  from  the  first 
was  reluctant  to  give  his  consent.  So  many  brave 
men  had  fallen  before  the  deadly  bullets  of  these 
miscreants,  that  it  seemed  like  running  a  terrible 
risk  to  go  out  single-handed  in  search  of  their 
whereabouts;  and  of  all  men  Wicher  was  the 
last  he  wanted  to  lose.  After  a  very  long  delibera- 
tion he  consent,  and  on  the  following  day  the  brave 
young  detective  left  his  young  wife  and  happy  home 
to  enter  on  that  last  fatal  enterprise. 

Wicher  went  straight  to  Liberty,  the  county  town 
of  Clay  county,  some  twelve  or  fourteen  miles  from 
Kearney,  the  home  of  Dr.  Samuels.  He  first  visited 
the  Commercial  Savings  Bank,  where  he  made  cer- 
tain deposits  and  made  the  object  of  his  visit  known 
to  Mr.  Adkins,  the  President  of  the  bank,  who, 
while  applauding  his  purpose,  still  was  by  no  means 
sanguine  of  the  result. 


Wicher,  of  Chicago.]  179 

*' You  little  know  what  you  are  daring,"  said  the 
Bank  President— who  was  just  as  anxious  as  any- 
body that  this  robber-band  should  be  broken  up — 
'*I  tell  you  a  gang  of  devils  would  not  be  worse  to 
meet  than  this  crowd  of  blood-thirsty  scoundrels 
who  are  led  by  Frank  and  Jesse  James." 

Liberty  was  a  small  town,  and  a  stranger  would 
be  sure  to  be  noticed  if  he  stayed  long.  There  was 
an  eye  on  the  wary  detective,  more  wary  than  his 
own.  Jim  Latche,  fully  aware  that  the  hunt  was 
up  for  his  friends,  the  Jameses,  noted  the  stranger 
at  the  bank.  Something  in  his  manner  aroused  sus- 
picion, and  Jim  Latche  watched  with  keen  and 
ceaseless  attention.  From  the  bank  he  went  to  the 
house  of  ex-Sheriff  Moss,  little  dreaming  that  he 
was  being  followed  and  watched.  In  was  in  vain 
that  Mr.  Moss  urged  him  to  return.  He  gave  him  a 
terrible  account  of  the  prowess  of  the  desperadoes; 
told  him  of  their  shrewdness  and  of  their  merciless 
nature  when  excited  by  the  presence  of  an  enemy; 
and  warned  him  that  he  need  not  hope  to  secure 
such  w^ary  men  by  strategem.  Col.  Moss  was  earn- 
est in  his  efforts  to  dissuade  Wicher  from  making 
the  rash  attempt,  but  all  entreaties  were  in  vain. 
Wicher  had  started  out  and  he  would  not  return 
without  having  made  a  trial.  He  determined  to 
assume  the  role  of  a  tramp  and  apply  for  farm 
work.  Before  he  left  Liberty  he  changed  his  clothes 
for  those  of  a  farm  laborer.  Latche  saw  this,  and 
this  was  enough.  Away  he  sped  to  Kearney  and 
gave  Jesse  James  timely  warning. 


180        The  Life  of  Frank  and  Jesse  James. 

Never  did  man  walk  more  deliberately  into  his 
grave  than  did  Detective  Wicher  that  bright  spring 
afternoon.  Jesse  James,  Jim  Anderson  and  Brad- 
ley Collins  were  all  on  the  alert.  The  afternoon 
train  brought  Wicher  to  Kearney,  and  with  a  bundle 
swung  on  a  stick  in  true  tramp  style  he  took  his 
way,  without  suspicion  of  danger,  towards  the  Sam- 
uels' homestead.  The  three  desperadoes  who  had 
resolved  on  their  course  of  action  were  hiding  by 
the  roadside.  When  within  half  a  mile  of  Dr.  Sam- 
uels' home,  Jesse  suddenly  confronted  the  some- 
what astonished  Wicher: 

"Good  evening,  sir,"  said  Wicher. 

"Where  in  h — 11  are  you  going?"  responded  the 
other. 

"lam  seeking  work.  Can  you  tell  me  where  I 
can  get  some  work  on  a  farm?" 

"No,  not  much,  you  don't  want  any  either,  you 
d — d  thief.  Old  Pinkerton  has  already  given  you  a 
job  that  will  last  you  as  long  as  you  live,  I  reckon." 

Wicher  was  taken  aback,  but  he  soon  took  in  the 
whole  situation.  In  a  moment  Jesse's  pistol  was 
brought  to  sight,  and  he  laughed  that  scornful 
laugh  that  has  no  mercy  in  its  tone.  Wicher  was 
not  great  1 3^  perturbed,  but  saw  at  once  the  only 
possible  chance  was  conciliation.  That  was  the  last 
card  in  his  hand,  but  he  played  it  in  vain. 

"  Well,  this  is  a  singular  adventure,  I  declare," 
said  Wicher.  "  Now,  why  you  should  make  such  a 
mistake  concerning  me,  is  more  than  I  can  imagine. 
You  are  surely  making  sport  of  me.    I  tell  you  I 


Wicher,  of  Chicago.  181 

know  nothing  of  the  persons  of  whom  you  speak, 
and  why  should  you  interrupt  me  ?  Let  me  go  on, 
for  J  must  find  a  place  to  stop  to-night,  anyhow." 

Jesse  James  laughed  outright.  ^' What,"  said  he, 
*'  were  you  doing  at  Liberty  to-day  ?  Why  did  you 
deposit  money  in  the  bank  ?  What  business  did 
you  have  with  Adkins  and  Moss  ?  Where  are  the 
clothes  you  wore  ?  Plotting  to  capture  the  James 
boys,  eh  ?"  and  Jesse  laughed  aloud,  and  Jim  An- 
derson and  Fox,  and  another  confederate  of  the 
Boys,  came  from  their  concealment,  with  pistols  in 
hand.  Poor  Whicher  saV  this,  and  for  the  first 
time  he  fully  realized  the  helplessness  of  his  po- 
sition. 

Then  Jesse  James  added  in  a  merciless,  swearing 
tone  of  voice,  ^' Young  man,  we  want  to  hear  no 
more  from  you.  We  know  you.  Move  but  a  finger 
and  you  die  now.  *^  Boys,"  he  said,  addressing  An- 
derson and  Fox,  "  I  don't  think  it  best  to  do  the  job 
here.  It  wouldn't  take  long,  but  for  certain  reasons 
I  don't  think  this  is  the  place.  Shall  we  cross  the 
river  to-night  ?"  The  others  answered  they  would 
if  it  was  his  pleasure. 

All  this  time  Wicher  stood  calm  and  silent.  He 
was  consciously  facing  the  inevitable.  At  a  com- 
nand  from  Jesse  his  pistol  was  taken  from  him. 
A.nd  in  the  midst  of  their  grim  sport  one  of  the  boys 
on  examining  Wicher's  hands,  said  : 

"  Damnd  fine  hands  these  for  the  hands  of  a  farm 
laborer.  You've  not  done  much  farm  work  of  late, 
my  beauty  !    But  you've  done  all  the  woik  you'll 


182        The  Life  of  Frank  and  Jesse  James. 

ever  do  for  Pinkerton  or  anybody  else,  my  dear  sir!'* 

The  plans  of  the  bandits  were  complete.  Wicher 
was  disarmed,  and  now  he  was  bound  by  strong 
cords  and  a  gag  put  in  his  mouth  to  keep  him  from 
raising  an  alarm. 

Later  on  in  the  evening  he  was  put  upon  a  horse, 
his  legs  firmly  tied  under  the  horse's  belly.  Jesse 
James,  Jim  Anderson  and  Bradley  Collins  followed 
making  up  an  awful  procession.  On  they  went  hour 
after  hour  and  the  wretched  man,  gagged  and  bound, 
had  his  ears  regaled  with  the  detailed  plan  of  his 
execution. , 

By  three  o'clock  next  morning  they  reached  Blue 
Mills  on  the  Missouri  river,  woke  up  the  sleepy  ferry 
man,  and,  under  the  pretense  that  they  were  on  the 
track  of  horse  thieves,  they  persuaded  him  to  take 
them  across  the  river.  The  ferry  man  obeyed  and 
making  some  sort  of  gruff  reference  to  the  man  who 
was  gagged,  they  told  him  that  he  was  one  of  the 
captured  thieves.  They  had  crossed  the  river,  and 
in  a  dark  copse  in  Jackson  County  the  dreadful  deed 
of  murder  was  wrought. 

Wicher  was  taken  from  the  horse  on  which  he  had 
ridden  his  last  sad  ride,  and  bound  to  a  tree.  The 
gag  was  taken  out  of  his  mouth  and  then  by  a  pro- 
cess of  slow,  awful  torture,  the  wretched  demons 
sought  to  extract  from  him  some  information  con- 
cerning the  plans  of  Pinkerton.  But  it  was  in  vain. 
Wicher  saw  that  death  was  before  him  and  he  deter- 
mined not  to  speak.  They  cut  and  slashed  him  with 
their  bowie-knives.     They  dragged  his  head  down 


WicheVy  of  Chicago.  183 

till  his  neck  was  nearly  broken,  but  all  was  in  vain; 
and  when  at  last  they  saw  that  no  amount  of  tor- 
ture would  induce  him  to  speak,  they  finished  their 
ghastly  work.  And  amid  sneer  and  jest  and  ribald 
taunt  they  sent  one  bullet  crashing  through  his  brain 
and  another  through  his  heart. 

The  first  beams  of  a  fair  March  morning  were 
breaking  through  the  tree- tops  of  the  wood,  when 
these  wretches  had  completed  their  night's  dreadful 
work.  There  was  blood  upon  the  young  spring 
grass,  and  blood  upon  that  young  fair  face  of  Wich- 
ers,  but  what  of  that !  These  bloodhounds  were  too 
much  used  to  scenes  like  these  to  feel  one  thrill  of 
pity.  What  cared  they  for  the  young  wife  made  an 
untimely  widow  I  It  was  life  for  life  they  said.  They 
dragged  his  bloody,  mutilated  corpse  out  on  to  the 
highway  that  it  might  be  a  warning  to  all  detectives 
who  should  dare  to  hunt  the  Jameses. 

So  ended  the  tragedy  of  Wicher's  fruitleay  .siQarcht 


{)HAPTEE    XXVI. 

511K  ASSAULT  ON  CASTLE  JAMES. 

liUiJL     DANIELS    AND    WICHER   TO    BE    AVENGED  —  THE 

JAMJ:S  boys  lO  be  caught — the  assault  on  THE 

SAMUELS'    REiilDENCE — AN    AWFUL    SCENE 

OF    FIRE  AND  BLOOD — FRANK  AND 

JESSE  STILL  UNCAUGHT. 

Captain  Lull,  Edward  Daniels,  and  John  W. 
V^^icher,  had  all  fallen  victims  before  the  men  they 
went  out  to  capture.  A  thousand  mingling  emotions 
stirred  the  minds  of  the  public  at  large  on  the  tid- 
ings of  these  shameful  murderers.  But  in  the  minds 
of  Pinkerton  and  the  whole  detective  force,  there 
was  a  bitter  sense  of  humiliation  mingling  with  sin- 
cere regret.  Not  only  were  they  sad  to  lose  such 
gallant  comrades,  but  it  seemed  as  if  the  skill  and 
cunning  of  the  whole  detective  force  were  as  noth- 
ing when  brought  to  play  upon  these  daring  robbers. 
Tha  loss  of  these  three  brave  men  had  made  them 
sad,  the  defeat  had  driven  them  furious  with  rage 
and  they  swore  to  avenge  the  deaths  of  Lull,  Daniels 
and  Wicher,  and  to  redeem  the  credit  of  the  detec- 
tive force. 

(184) 


The  Assault  on  Castle  James.  185 

A  detective  campaign  was  organized  that  was  to 
put  to  an  end  forever  the  outrages  of  these  wily 
brigands.  William  Pinkerton,  a  brother  of  the  Chief 
Detective,  was  sent  to  Kansas  City  with  five  of  the 
most  trusted  men  of  the  force.  All  the  plans  were 
to  be  well  and  carefully  laid,  nothing  was  to  be  left 
to  chance.  Constant  communication  in  cypher  was 
kept  with  Chicago.  As  soon  as  Pinkerton  arrived 
in  Kansas  City,  the  sheriff  of  Clay  County  was  sent 
for,  and  it  became  abundantly  clear  that  the  detec- 
tives could  reckon  upon  the  sympathy  and  moral 
support  of  a  very  large  proportion  of  the  best  citi- 
zens of  the  county.  A  careful  watch  was  set  about 
the  Samuels'  homestead,  in  which  twelve  trusty 
citizens  were  engaged,  and  reports  were  furnished 
hour  by  hour.  It  was  arranged  that  none  of  the 
detectives  were  to  be  in  the  neighborhood  of  Kearney 
till  the  time  had  come  to  strike  the  decisive  blow, 
the  day  for  which  was  fixed  January  25th,  1875.  That 
cold  wintry  afternoon  Frank  and  Jesse  James  were 
both  seen  in  the  front  yard  of  the  Samuels'  residence. 
Of  this  fact  there  is  no  doubt  for  a  single  moment. 
The  fact  that  they  were  there  was  telegraphed  to 
Pinkerton,  it  was  believed  that  the  two  young  men 
would  spent  the  evening  under  their  mother's  roof, 
it  was,  therefore,  resolved  under  cover  of  the  night 
to  assault  the  house,  which  had  long  been  called 
*'  Castle  James,"  and  secure  both  Frank  and  Jesse. 
r  But  Frank  and  Jesse  were  never  without  friends 
and  there  can  be  little  doubt  that  the  whole  scheme 
of  Pinkerton  had  been  communicated  to  the  broth- 


186        TJie  Life  of  Frank  and  Jesse  James. 

ers.  Whether  there  had  been  any  betrayal  of  trust 
on  the  part  of  any  one,  or  whether  the  schemers  had 
been  outschemed  by  some  cunning  secret  friends  of 
the  boys,  or  whether  a  sort  of  devil's  luck  had  made 
the  boys  restless,  it  is  hard  to  tell.  They  had  keen 
noses  for  a  scent,  and  they  may  have  smelt  that 
there  was  danger  in  the  air.  Be  this  as  it  may,  soon 
after  nightfall  on  this  memorable  25th  of  January, 
when  all  arrangements  for  their  capture  were  per- 
fected, when  squads  and  posses  of  detectives  and 
private  citizens,  v/ere  drawing  a  cordon  round  the 
ill-faded  house,  when  a  special  train  was  on  its  way 
from  Kansas  City  to  Kearney  with  a  large  force  to 
"  make  assurance  doubly  sure,"  Frank  and  Jesse 
saddled  their  horses,  bade  their  respected  parents  a 
tender  farewell  and  quickly  rode  away,  without 
hindrance  or  molestation.  None  of  the  vigilant 
guards  saw  them  depart,  and  when  the  hour  fixed 
on  for  the  attack  came  they  were  fifty  miles  away, 
quietly  enjoying  the  evening  in  the  house  of  a 
friend. 

The  assaulting  party  had  no  information  that  the 
birds  had  flown,  but  quietly  and  confidently  they 
were  drawing  nearer  and  nearer  to  the  house,  sure 
as  they  thought  of  their  prey,  and  determined  to 
take  them  dead  or  alive. 

At  the  hour  of  midnight  the  attack  began.  Nine 
well  armed  men  from  Pinkerton's  force  led  the  at- 
tack. Balls  of  tow  saturated  in  coal  oil  and  turpen- 
tine were  carried  along,  and  two  heavy  hand  gren- 
ades with  a   33-pound   shell.     It  was   not  witi^c^"^ 


The  Asscudf  on  Castle  James.  187 

some  fear  that  they  marched  to  tlie  attack.  There 
had  been  so  many  surprises  of  terror,  that  to  be  met 
by  a  fierce  and  murderous  repulse  would  only  have 
been  in  keeping  with  the  past  history  of  the  Jameses. 

Two  of  the  attacking"  party  approaclied  a  window 
on  tlie  west  side  of  the  house,  and  in  attempting  to 
open  it  woke  an  old  colored  woman  who  had  been 
for  years  a  servant  of  the  family.  She  gave  an 
alarm  at  once.  But  the  window  was  forced  open 
and  two  balls  of  fire  were  thrown  into  the  apart- 
ment. This  brought  all  the  inmates  of  the  house  in 
terror  to  this  strange,  unexpected  scene.  There 
were  in  the  house  Dr.  and  Mrs.  Samuels,  Miss  Susie 
Samuels  and  some  younger  children.  Instantly  the 
room  was  filled  with  smoke  and  flame.  The  plan 
was  to  arrest  Frank  and  Jesse  the  moment  they 
should  appear  upon  the  scene,  as  was  supposed  they 
would  be  sure  to  do  on  the  first  sight  of  the  threat- 
ening fire.  All  around  the  house  were  detectives 
and  citizens  with  cocked  pistols  ready  to  challenge 
the  boys  to  surrender,  and  if  they  would  not  to  make 
an  end  of  their  miserable  lives. 

The  young  children  screamed  and  w^ailed  most 
piteously.  Mrs.  Samuels,  true  to  her  stern  nature, 
began  issuing  conmiands  and  doing  all  that  was 
possible  to  subdue  the  fire.  Then  followed  a  das- 
tardly and  shameful  piece  of  business.  One  of  the 
detectives  flung  a  hand  grenade  into  the  room 
amongst  the  terrifled  women  and  screaming  chil- 
dren. A  dreadful  explosion  followed,  and  then 
screams  of  anguish  and  groans  as  of  the  dying.  But 


188        Tlie  Life  of  Frank  and  Jesse  James. 

the  brigands  made  no  sign.  For  the  best  of  all  rea- 
sons, they  were  fifty  miles  away. 

The  attacking  party  being  pretty  well  satisfied  by 
this  time  that  neitlier  Frank  nor  Jesse  were  there, 
and  without  waiting  to  see  the  result  of  their  on- 
slaught, turned  their  steps  homeward.  A  more 
cowardly  and  ignoble  ending  of  a  carefully  laid  plot 
can  scarcely  be  imagined.  The  hurling  of  that 
hand  grenade  was  beyond  all  things  wanton  and 
cruel,  and  altogether  unworthy  of  men  with  any 
sense  of  honor. 

When  the  consternation  within  had  somewat  sub- 
sided, Dr.  Samuels  lit  a  lamp,  and  there  before  him 
was  a  scene  that  utterly  beggars  description.  There 
lay  their  little  eight-year  old  son  in  the  agonies  of  a 
painful  death.  The  exploding  shell  had  completely 
torn  the  boy's  side  away.  Mrs.  Samuels  lay  in  a 
pool  of  blood,  her  left  arm  shattered  and  hanging- 
helpless  by  her  side.  Susie  and  the  poor  old  servant 
were  both  bleeding  from  desperate  wounds.  The 
scene  was  horrible.  There  was  blood  everywhere, 
and  agonies  and  groans,  and  in  the  pale  glimmer  of 
the  flickering  lamp  light  the  poor  boj^  turned  his 
pale  face  to  his  mother  and  with  a  great  cry  of  an- 
guish died. 

It  was  a  terrible  night,  that  25th  of  January,  1875! 
There  was  blundering  and  bungling  on  the  one 
hand,  and  the  most  unwarrantable  cruelty  on  the 
other.  If  Frank  and  Jesse  had  been  home  there 
would  probably  have  been  a  very  different  record. 

Years  after  when  some  one  asked  Mrs.  Samuels  i^' 


The  Assault  on  Castle  James,  189 

Frank  or  Jesse  were  really  home  that  night,  she 
looked  a  very  stern  look  at  her  questioner  and  said: 

''  Do  you  suppose  that  either  Frank  or  Jesse  would 
have  been  there  and  nobody  killed  ?" 

The  funeral  of  the  slaughtered  child  took  place 
on  the  28th  of  January.  Mrs.  Samuels  had  had  her 
arm  amputated  and  was  not  able  to  attend  the 
funeral.  But  a  great  crowd  attended  the  funeral, 
and  that  little  coffin  laid  under  the  winter  snow 
wrought  a  great  change  in  the  feelings  of  the  rni- 
zens  of  Clay  Count7 


CIIAPTEE  XXVII. 

THE  TIDE  TURNS. 

GENERAL   JONES'S   BILL — THE  AMNESTY  BILL  FAILS — IF 

THE  BILL  HAD  NOT  FAILED  WHAT  THEN? — 

VENGEANCE — WHO   KILLED  DAN 

ASKEW? 

That  terrible  night  at  Kearney  turned  the  tide  of 
feeling  in  favor  of  Frank  and  Jesse  James.  There 
was  not  an  inhabitant  in  Clay  County  but  felt  out- 
raged by  the  conduct  of  the  detectives  and  such  of 
the  citizens  as  had  taken  part  in  that  night  of  terror. 
If  the  Missourians  did  not  justify  Frank  and  Jesse 
in  their  lawless  courses,  they  felt  disposed  after  the 
memorable  25th  of  January,  1865,  to  let  them  alone. 

There  were  thousands  of  respectable  people  all  over 
this  western  region  who  had  no  sympathy  with  the 
legal  attempts  made  to  hunt  these  men  who  were 
already  outlawed.  They  believed  that  animosities 
engendered  by  the  course  the  boys  took  in  the  late 
war  had  a  great  deal  to  do  with  the  present  action. 
And  the  fatal  fray  of  the  detectives  at  Kearney  led 
finally  to  the  introduction  into  the  State  Legislature 

(190) 


The  Tide  Turns,  191 

of  a  bill  granting  immunity  for  all  offenses  commit- 
ted during  the  war  by  Jesse  W.  James,  Thomas 
Coleman  Younger,  Frank  James,  Robert  Younger 
and  James  Younger,  on  the  condition  that  they 
would  return  to  their  homes  and  quietly^submit  to 
such  proceedings  as  might  be  instituted  against  them 
for  acts  alledged  to  have  been  committed  by  them 
since  the  war.  General  Jeff.  Jones  member  for 
Callaway  County,  submitted  the  measure  to  At- 
torney-general John  A.  Hockaday,  and  then  in  a 
speech  of  great  eloquence  introduced  it 'to  the  Legis- 
lature. 

The  following  quotations  will  serve  to  indicate  the 
perport  and  intent  of  the  "  Outlaw  Amnesty  Bill:" 

Whereas,  By  the  4th  section  of  the  11th  Article  of  the  Con- 
stitution of  Missouri,  all  persons  in  the  military  service  of  the 
United  States,  or  who  acted  under  the  authority  thereof  in  this 
state,  are  relieved  from  all  civil  liability  and  all  criminal  punish- 
ment for  all  acts  done  by  them  since  the  1st  day  of  January,  A. 
D.  1861  :  and. 

Whereas,  By  the  12th  section  of  the  said  lltli  Article  of  said 
Constitution,  provision  is  made  by  which,  under  certain  circum- 
stances, may  be  seized,  transported  to,  indicted,  tried  and  pun- 
ished in  distant  counties,  any  Confederate  under  ban  of  despotic 
displeasure,  thereby  contravening  the  Constitution  of  the  United 
States  and  every  principle  of  enlightened  humanity;  and. 

Whereas,  Such  discrimination  evinces  a  want  of  manly  gen- 
erosity and  statesmanship  on  the  part  of  the  party  imposing,  and 
of  courage  and  manhood  on  the  part  of  the  party  submitting 
tamely  thereto;  and. 

Whereas,  Under  the  outlawry  pronounced  against  Jesse  W. 
James,  Frank  James,  Coleman  Younger,  Robert  Younger  and 
others,  who  gallantly  periled  their  lives  and  their  all  in  defense 
of  their  princiiDles,  they  are  of  necessity    made  desperate,    driven 


192        The  Life  of  Frank  and  Jesse  James. 

as  they  are  from  the  fields  of  honest  industry,  from  their  friends, 
their  families,  their  homes  and  their  country,  they  can  know  no 
law  but  the  law  of  self-preservation,  nor  can  have  no  respect  for 
and  feel  no  allegiance  to  a  government  which  forces  them  to  the 
very  acts  it  professes  to  deprecate,  and  then  offers  a  bounty  for 
their  apprehension,  and  arms  foreign  mercenaries  with  power  to 
capture  and  kill  them;  and, 

Whereas,  Believing  tliese  men  too  brave  to  be  mean,  too 
generous  to  be  revengeful,  and  too  gallant  and  honorable  to  be- 
tray a  friend  or  break  a  promise;  and  believing  further  that  most, 
if  not  all  of  the  offenses  with  which  i\\ej  are  charged  have  been 
committed  by  others,  and  perhaps  by  those  pretending  to  hunt 
them,  or  by  their  confederates;  that  their  names  are  and  have 
been  used  to  divert  suspicion  from  and  thereby  relieve  the  actual 
perpetrators;  that  the  return  of  these  men  to  their  homes  and 
friends  w-ould  have  the  effect  of  greatly  lessening  crime  in  our 
state  by  turning  public  attention  to  the  real  criminals,  and  that 
common  justice,  sound  policy  and  true  statesmanship,  alike  de- 
mand that  amnesty  should  be  extended  to  all  alike  of  both  parties 
for  all  acts  done  or  charged  to  have  been  done  during  the  war; 
therefore,  be  it 

Resolved  by  the  House  of  Representatives,  the  Senate  concurring 
therein: 

That  the  Governor  of  the  State  be,  and  he  is  hereby  requested 
to  issue  his  proclamation  notifying  the  said  Jesse  W.  James,  Frank 
James,  Coleman  Younger,  Robert  Younger  and  James  Younger, 
and  others,  that  full  and  complete  amnesty  and  pardon  will  b(^ 
granted  them  for  all  acts  charged  or  committed  by  them  during 
the  late  civil  war,  and  inviting  them  peacefully  to  return  to  their 
respective  homes  in  this  state  and  there  quietly  to  remain,  sub- 
mitting themselves  to  such  proceedings  as  may  be  instituted 
against  them  by  the  courts  for  all  offenses  charged  to  have  been 
committed  since  said  war,  promising  and  guaranteeing  to  them 
and  each  of  them  full  protection  and  a  fair  trial  therein,  and  that 
full  protection  shall  be  given  them  from  the  time  of  their  entrance 
into  the  state  and  his  notice  thereof  under  said  proclamation  and 
invitation. 


The  Tide  Turns,  193 

The  bill  was  first  introduced  in  March  1875.  The 
bill  was  fully  discussed  by  the  committee  on  Criminal 
Jurisprudence.  A  majority  of  the  committee  agreed 
to  recommend  the  bill  to  the  House  of  Representa- 
tives. Near  the  close  of  the  session  of  the  28th 
General  Assembly  it  came  up  for  its  third  reading. 
The  debate  was  long  and  animated.  General  Jones 
wrought  most  nobly  to  see  the  bill  pass.  It  was  how- 
ever defeated,  and  that  act  of  the  Democratic  Legis- 
lature of  Missouri  was  the  practical  ratification  of 
Governor  Silas  Wordson's  message  of  outlawry  com- 
municated to  the  27th  General  Assembly. 

The  mark  of  Cain  was  branded  afresh  upon  the 
brows  of  these  outlaws.  There  was  no  mercy  for 
them.  But  did  they  really  crave  such  mercy  aa 
General  Jones's  bill  would  have  afforded?  wSuppose 
the  bill  had  passed  they  must  then  have  surrendered, 
and  all  the  robberies  and  murders  since  the  close  of 
the  war  would  have  be^n  charged  home  upon  them. 
And  the  result  could  only  have  been  one  of  two 
things.  Execution  or  imprisonment  for  life.  And 
neither  Frank  nor  Jesse  James  were  anxious  for 
either  distinction. 

And  yet  it  has  been  averred  again  and  again  that 
the  boys  were  most  anxious  for  the  passage  of  the 
bill.  During  the  time  in  which  the  bill  was  under 
consideration  they  were  exceedingly  quiet.  No  rob- 
bery no  depredation  of  any  kind  disturbed  Missouri. 
It  is  further  stated  on  what  seems  to  be  thoroughly 
reliable  authority  that  the  Jameses  and  the  Youngers 
opened  up  communications  with  Governor  Hardir 


194        The  Life  of  Frank  and  Jesse  James, 

and  Attorney-General  John  A.  Hockaday  through 
the  sheriff  of  Clay  County.  The  precise  nature  of 
these  communications  is  not  known,  but  the  friends 
of  the  boys  declare  that  they  were  getting  weary  of 
the  life  they  had  lived  and  were  really  and  sincerely 
anxious  to  enter  the  the  paths  of  peace. 

They  had  spent  a  whole  decade,  and  that  the  best 
.oortion  of  their  life  in  bloody  conflict  with  society. 
They  had  robbed  and  murdered,  and  their  ill-gotten 
gains  had  slipped  speedily  away.  It  may  have  been, 
we  cannot  tell,  but  if  there  had  been  a  door  opened 
for  them  to  a  new  path  in  life,  they  might  have  gladly 
seized  the  opportunity  of  turning  from  their  dread- 
ful past  and 

"  Climbing  on  stepping  stones, 
Of  their  dead  selves, 

To  nobler  things." 

If  the  Amnesty  bill  had  not  failed!  But  it  did  fail. 
And  its  failure  was  a  fresh  pretext  for  the  brigands 
tO  pursue  their  life  of  blood  and  pillage.  They  had 
received  a  permanent  lease  of  outlawry,  and  now 
why  should  they  care?  Society  had  flung  away  the 
one  chance  of  redeeming  them.  They  were  outlaws 
still,  and  they  determined  henceforth  that  it  should 
go  hard  but  they  would  fill  the  bill.  Hunted  as  ene- 
mies of  their  fellows  they  threw  up  all  the  good  re- 
solves they  had  made.     For  to  them 

"  The  die  now  cast,  their  station  known, 
Fond  expectation  past; 
The  thorns  which  former  daj^s  had  sown, 
To  crops  of  late  repentance  grown , 


The  Tide  Turns.  195 

Through  which  they  toil'd  at  last; 
While  evciy  care's  a  driving  harm, 
That  helped  to  bear  them  down; 
Which  faded  smiles  no  more  could  charm, 
But  every  tear  a  winter  storm, 
And  every  look  a  frown." 

They  had  been  some  time  at  bay,  now  they  turned 
with  fury  on  their  foes  and  wrote  broad  and  deep  in 
their  wild  wayward  hearts,  the  one  word  Vengeancel 
They  had  smitten  men  with  whips,  they  would  now 
use  scorpions!  And  woe  betide  the  men  who  dared 
to  cross  their  path! 

Mr.  Daniel  H.  Askew  was  a  flourishing  farmer, 
and  a  much  respected  gentleman  living  near  the 
Samuels'  residence,  in  Clay  County.  His  opinion  as 
to  the  whole  family  living  under  Dr.  Samuel's  roof 
was  anything  but  flattering.  And  he  was  one  of 
those  men  who  did  not  hesitate  to  give  utterance  to 
his  views.  He  was  believed  to  be  a  member  of  the 
posse  which  made  the  shameful  attack  on  Castle 
James  on  that  sad  January  night.  Albeit 'he  him- 
self declared  again  and  again  that  he  had  no  share 
or  part  whatever  in  Pinkerton's  raid.  Still  for 
reasons  best  known  to  themselves  Frank  and  Jesse 
James  both  held  Askew  to  be  one  of  their  inveterate 
foes,  and  felt  persuaded  from  evidence  they  had  ob- 
tained that  Dan  Askew  had  led  the  detective  gang 
that  had  brought  death  and  desolation  to  their 
home. 

On  the  night  of  April  12th,  1875,  and  about  8 
o'clock  in  the  evening,  Mr.  AkeW  went  after  supper 
to  a  spring,  about  fifty  yards  from  his  house,  for  a 


196        The  Life  of  Frank  and  Jesse  James. 

bucket  of  water.  It  was  moonlight,  bright  and  clear. 
He  returned  from  the  spring,  set  the  bucket  in  the 
porch,  and  was  'just  in  the  act  of  taking  a  drink  of 
the  cool  spring  water,  when  three  shots  rang  out  in 
the  still  moonlit  air  and  the  ill-fated  gentleman  fell 
dead  on  his  face  on  the  porch  of  his  home,  with  three 
bullets  in  his  brain.  The  wife  and  daughter  of  the 
murdered  man  rushed  out  just  in  time  to  see  three 
men  come  from  the  corner  of  the  wood-pile,  mount 
their  horses  and  ride  swiftly  away. 

Who  killed  Dan  Askew? 

That  question  can  perhaps  be  never  fully  answer- 
ed. There  is  very  litte  doubt  that  the  three  men 
were  Frank  and  Jesse  James  and  Clell  Miller.  For 
a  little  later,  the  same  night,  three  men  answering 
to  the  above-named  as  far  as  could  be  well  discovered 
in  the  moonlight,  called  at  the  house  of  Mr.  Henry 
Sears,  and  summoned  him  to  the  door  and  said: 

''See  here,  we  have  killed  Dan  Askew,  and  if  any 
of  his  ffiends  want  to  know  who  did  the  job,  tell 
them  detectives  did  it." 

Without  a  single  scrap  more  evidence,  the  public 
concluded  in  their  own  minds  that  Frank  and  Jesse 
were  the  perpetrators  of  this  last  murder  and  the 
tide  that  had  turned  in  their  favor  was  beginning 
to  flow  back  into  its  old  channel. 


CHAPTER  XX;YIII. 

THE  SAN  ANTONIO  STAGE. 

PLUNDERING   A  BISHOP —A  $3,000   HAUL  —  A  BIG     BO- 
NANZA AT   MUNCIE — A    TRAIN  BOARDED — 
$30,000  IN  GOLD  DUST  AND 
$25,000  IN  CASH. 

After  the  death  of  Mr.  Askew,  the  bandits,  fear- 
ing a  general  rising  against  them, — for  Mr.  Askew 
was  a  general  favorite  throughout  the  whole  district 
of  western  Missouri — thought  it  best  to  relieve  the 
State  of  their  presence  for  a  little  while,  and  beside, 
funds  running  low,  it  was  felt  desirable  to  seek  for 
the  replenishment  of  their  resources  in  greener  fields 
and  pastures  new. 

Accordingl}^  after  having  spent  a  little  time  in 
the  Indian  Territory,  they  resolved  to  journey  into 
Texas  and  try  their  luck  among  the  rangers  of  that 
wild  prairie  region.  The  sel'ect  company  of  robbers 
whose  exploits  are  now  to  be  recorded  was  c  s :npos- 
ed  of  the  redoubtable  Jesse  James,  Clell  Miller,  Jim 
Reed  and  Cole  and  Jim  Younger,  and  another  of  the 
lawless  band,  probably  Frank  James.  After  a  brief 
council  of  war,  they  agreed  on   robbing  the  mail 

il97) 


198        The  Life  of  Frank  and  Jesse  James. 

that  runs  between  San  Antonio  and  Austin.  They 
determined  upon  a  spot  on  the  highway  about  twen- 
ty-three miles  south-west  of  Austin,  and  there  lay  in 
peaceful  ambush  awaiting  the  arrival  of  the  stage 
coach. 

There  was  quite  a  high-toned  company  on  board 
the  stage  this  12th  day  of  May,  1875.  There  was  a 
real  live  bishop  to  start  with,  the  Right  Rev.  Bishop 
Gregg,  of  the  Protestant  Episcopal  diocese  of  Texas; 
Mr,  Breckenridge,  president  of  the  First  National 
bank  of  San  Antonio;  and  other  ladies  and  gentle^ 
men  of  good  standing— eleven  in  all.  Merry,  happy, 
souls  who  knew  the  brighter  side  of  life,  and  knew 
no  lack  of  earthly  gear.  It  was  as  bright  a  Ma}' 
day  as  one  would  wish  to  see.  The  driver  was  in  a 
splendid  humor,  and  the  horses  seemed  by  their 
prancing  necks  and  tossing  manes  to  share  the  gen- 
eral brightness  of  the  time.  The  stage  called  at  its 
usual  halting-place  about  six  o'clock  in  order  that 
m?n  and  beast  might  be  :,efreshed.  The  sun  was 
beginning  to  set  as  the  journey  was  resumed,  and 
the  whole  party,  refreshed  in  mind  as  the  result  of 
being  refreshed  in  body,  fell  into  a  pleasant  conver- 
sation. The  setting  sun  shone  gloriously,  flooding 
the  landscape  with  unutterable  splendors. 

Just  as  the  glories  of  the  departing  day  were  fad- 
mg  into  the  calmness  and  beauty  of  the  solemn  night, 
the  driver  descried  ahead  of  him  six  mounted  men, 
whom  he  took  for  rancheros;  but  as  they  drew  nearer 
he  became  a  little  puzzled.  They  were  mounted  not 
on  the  rough  mustang  of  the  prairies,  but  on  splen- 


The  San  Antonio  Stage.  199 

aid  American  horses  of  the  best  breed.  The  driver 
became  a  little  anxious,  and  said,  half  to  himself,  in 
language  more  expressive  than  grammatical: 

''Them's  queer  fellers,  Fll  swear.  I  don't  much 
like  the  looks  on  'em." 

His  fears  were  soon  realized,  the  f oremosi:  of  the 
mounted  gang,  presenting  a  loaded  pistol,  cried  out 
in  a  voice  of  thunder  :• 

''  Halt !  D — n  your  soul,  halt,  or  I'll  blow  your 
brains  out  I" 

Poor  old  Tony  Weller  never  wished  for  an  alibi 
for  the  immortal  Pickwick  half  as  earnestly  as  this 
San  Antonio  coachman  wished  for  an  alibi  for  him- 
self in  that  unhappy  moment.  Of  course  he  obeyed 
the  command,  and  in  less  time  than  it  takes  to  tell, 
the  six  robbers — three  on  each  side — held  the  whole 
company  of  the  stage  under  the  cover  of  their 
pistols. 

"  Come,  tumble  out !"  was  the  brief  command, 
"  Tumble  out  quick,  if  you  don't  want  to  die  where 
you  sit." 

A  scene  of  most  admired  confusion  ensued.  The 
women  of  the  party  lost  all  presence  of  mind,  and 
without  the  slightest  regard  for  the  proprieties 
clambered  over  and  clung  to  the  gentlemen  of  the 
party  for  protection.  Surely,  never  in  this  world, 
was  a  bishop  hugged  on  the  broad  highway  as  that 
bishop  was  hugged  by  a  very  ponderous  maiden 
lady,  of  a  very  certain  age,  as  she  begged  him  for 
the  love  of  God  to  protect  her  from  "those  wicked, 
horrid  men." 


200        ^ihe  Life  of  Frank  and  Jesse  James, 

But  the  bishop  was  more  in  danger  than  his  stout- 
clinging  friend.  Indeed,  there  was  little  danger  to 
the  women  of  the  company,  if  they  would  but  keep 
quiet.  Jesse  James  did  most  of  the  talking  on  the 
occasion,  though  Younger  occasionally  put  in  a 
word.  The  ladies  were  assured  they  had  nothing  to 
fear,  it  only  the  men  behaved  themselves.  "Behav- 
ing  themselves"  on  this  occasion  meant  simply  get- 
ting out  of  the  stage  and  delivering  all  their  pos- 
sessions quietly. 

''Come,  tumble  out  or  die!"  was  Jessie's  brief 
command. 

None  of  the  company  wanted  to  die.  Not  even 
the  bishop.  Heaven  was  no  doubt  much  better  than 
Texas,  but  they  all  preferred  Texas  for  the  present. 
They  hoped  to  go  to  heaven  in  the  distant  future, 
but  just  then  they  preferred  San  Antonio  to  Para- 
dise, even  though  they  should  get  there  with  empty 
pockets.  So  the  gentlemen  tumbled  out ;  and  were 
ranged  in  a  row,  two  of  the  'robbers  keeping  guard 
with  cocked  pistols,  while  the  others  searched  the 
baggage.  After  plundering  the  trunks  and  boxes 
of  the  passengers  they  turned  their  attention  to  the 
United  States  mail  bags,  from  which  a  large  sum  of 
money  was  extracted.  And  now  came  the  plunder 
of  personal  possessions. 

''Gentlemen  and  ladies,"  said  Jesse  in  a  mock 
politeness,  "  it  will  be  our  painful  duty  now  to  trou- 
ble  you  for  the  money  and  jewelry  you  may  change 
to  have  about  you.'' 

"  Do  you  mean  to  rob  us?"  asked  the  bishop  in  a 


The  San  Antonio  Stage.  201 

tcne  of  offended  dignity,  as  he  gazed  on  the  scene. 

*'  Oh!  fie,  fie,''  said  the  shocked  young  robber,  ''you 
shouldn't  use  such  ugly  language!  Rob  you!  Oh! 
never,  never!  We  would  scorn  the  action!  Do  we 
look  like  robbers?  No,  gentlemen,  Ave  only  wish  to 
relieve  you  of  a  burden — that's  all,  old  sock;  so  out 
with  your  money,  and  quick,  we  have  no  time  to 
spare." 

''Don't  you  call  that  robbery?"  asked  the  bishop. 

"  Come,  now,  old  coon!  Dry  up,  or  you^ll  not  have 
an  opportunity  to  ask  any  more  nonsensical  ques- 
tions.    Hand  out  your  money." 

The  bishop  reluctantly  complied,  handing  out  his 
pocket-book. 

*']S"ow  that  watch  of  yours!"  Jesse  further  com- 
manded. 

"What!  Will  you  not  allow  me  to  keep  my 
watch?  It  is  a  gift  and  dearly  prized.  You  would 
not  rob  an  humble  minister  of  Christ  of  his  time- 
piece, would  you?"  queried  the  bishop,  in  plantive 
tones. 

"  Hand  over  that  watch/'  said  Jesse,  grewing  im- 
patient.    "  You  must  pay  the  full  toll." 

"You  would  not  rob  a  minister  of  the  gospel  ®f  a 
cherished,  gift,  would  yon  ?"  he  asked,  most  pit- 
eously. 

"What!  you  are  a  parrson,  are  you?  A  meek 
shepherd,  are  you?  A  poor,  unworthy  vessel!"  said 
Jesse,  with  a  sneer.  "  So  much  the  more  reason 
you  should  pay.  You  have  no  need  of  a  watch.  Qof 
you  camels-hair,  and  that  sort  of  thing." 


;03        Hie  Life  of  Frank  and  Jesse  James. 

Jea^e's  remembrances  of  the  old  days  of  his  fath- 
er's struggling  ministry  were  revived.  He  remem- 
bered the  hard  conflict  his  father  had  with  pecuniary 
difficulties*  He  had  often  heard  stories  of  that  hard 
fight  and  he  had  no  large  place  of  sympathy  for 
well-to-do,  well-clad,  sleek  ecclesiastics.  So  he 
taunted  the  bishop,  further. — 

''  Look  h^re,  my  reverend  old  buck,  Jesus  Christ 
didn't  have  any  watch,  and  he  didn't  ride  in  stages, 
either.  He  walked  about  to  do  his  Father's  will, 
and  wasn't  arrayed  in  fine  clothes,  and  didn't  fare 
sumptuously  every  day.  What  use  has  a  preacher 
for  a  watch?  Go  and  travel  like  the  Master.  Out 
with  that  watch  I  ^o  more  words — not  one,  mind 
you  I    We  are  not  Christians,  we  are  Philistines." 

Most  reluctantly  the  Bishop  gave  up  the  valuable 
time-piece,  which  he  valued  above  all  price  as  the 
gift  of  loved  and  trusting  friends. 

"'  If  you've  anything  more,  out  with  it  and  quick, 
I'm  wasting  time""  cried  Jesse,  growing  angry,  in 
real  earnest. 

The  bishop  declared  that  he  had  not;  but  Cole 
Younger  thought  it  better  that  he  should  be 
searched,  urging  as  the  argument  for  such  a  pro- 
ceeding that  "  You  could  never  trust  these  d d 

canting  Christians  in  an  affair  of  honor."  The 
bishop  submitted  to  the  search  vith  a  groan,  but 
nothing  of  value  being  found  on  him  he  was  let  go. 

The  eight  gentlemen  were  all  searched,  but  very 
little  was  obtained  till  they  came  to  Mr.  Brecken- 
ridge,  of  the  San  Antonio  Bank.     He  proved  to  be  a 


The  San  Antonio  Stage.  203 

big  bonanza.  They  obtained  from  him  over  $1,000. 
The  ladies  were  ordered  to  yield  up  their  treasures. 
One  was  old  and  evidently  poor.  They  examined 
her  pocket-book,  and  Jesse  said: 

''  Madam,  is  that  all  you  have?" 

"  Every  cent  I  have  in  the  >vorld,"  she  replied. 

"  And  how  far  are  you  going?" 

"  To  Houston,  sir," 

*' Well  then,  take  your  money,  we  won't  trouble 
you." 

To  her  inl^nse  surprise  the  affrighted  old  lady 
found,  when  she  got  home,  that  Jesse  had  slipped 
a  twenty-dollar  bill  into  her  poorly  furnished  pock- 
et-book; and  she  was  wont  to  say  in  after  years: 

"Well,  well,  the  boys  were  bad  enough,  Heaven 
knows;  but  they  might  have  been  a  good  deal 
worse." 

From  the  other  two  ladies  they  took  their  posses- 
sions. From  the  fat  old  maid,  who  had  clasped  the 
bishop  to  her  throbbing  breast,  they  took  a  valuable 
gold  watch  and  about  a  hundred  dollars  in  cash. 

They  were  nearly  two  hours  at  their  task,  but 
they  were  never  molested,  and  not  one  of  that  com- 
pany offered  any  sign  of  resistance.  They  made  a 
haul  of  about  $3,500.  They  took  the  lead-span  of 
horses,  enjoined  strict  silence  and  secrecy  on  those 
whom  they  had  robbed,  and  then  rode  away  into 
the  dark  and  silent  night. 

The  San  Antonio  stage  rumbled  on  a  sad,  dis- 
spirited  and  poverty-stricken  party.  They  were  all 
of   them  philosophers  enough  to  see  that  things 


204        The  Life  of  Frank  and  Jesse  James. 

might  have  been  much  worse.  They  had  saved 
their  lives  at  the  cost  of  their  possessions,  and  on 
the  whole  they  settled  down  to  the  view  that  they 
might  have  made  a  much  worse  bargain. 

The  scene  changes.  Some  months  liave  passed 
away,  the  $3,500  of  the  San  Antonio  stage  robbery 
have  dwindled  down  and  "financial  exegences" — 
to  put  no  finer  point  upon  it — have  lead  the  boys  to 
hold  a  "Committee  of  Ways  and  Means  I''  Jesse 
James,  Arthur  McCoy.  Cole  and  Bob  Younger, 
Clell  Miller  and  Bill  McDaniels  hold  a  council. 

It  has  come  to  the  knowledge  of  this  select  com- 
pany of  robbers — how,  deponent  sayeth  not — that 
the  government  intended  to  send  a  large  shipment 
of  gold  dust  eastward  from  Denver  by  the  Kansas 
Pacific  Railroad.  There  can  be  little  doubt  that 
some  of  these  robbers  had  friends  somewhere 
among  the  railway  or  mint  agents ;  but  if  they  had, 
the  secret  was  well  kept.  Anyway,  the  robbers 
knew  that  there  was  to  be  a  very  large  shipment  at 
a  certain  date  not  long  hence,  so  from  Texas  the 
boys  journeyed  northward  through  the  Indian  terri- 
tory to  Kansas. 

About  six  miles  from  Kansas  City,  in  Wyandotte 
county,  is  a  little  wayside  station  called  Muncie;  a 
quiet  little  station  all  alone  in  the  hills,  witli  no 
dwelling  place  for  miles  around.  There  was  ii  large 
water  tank  here  where  the  train  generally  stayed 
for  water;  but  for  this  fact,  and  for  it§  association 
with  one  of  the  most  daring  and  successful  of  rob- 
beries, the  name  of  Muncie  might  never  have  been 


The  San  Antonio  Stage.  205 

heard.  It  was  May,  the  time  of  flowers  and  per- 
fume, of  golden  corn  fields  and  summer's  smiling 
reign  when  the  last  exploit  took  place.  Since  then 
the  autumnal  fields  had  all  been  reaped  and  the 
autumn  leaves  had  fallen,  and  now  the  stars  of 
Christmas  were  burning  in  the  bright  December 
sky  of  1875.  It  was  quite  dark  Vhen  the  train 
t  eached  Muncie  Station.  As  the  train  halted  at  the 
water  tank  there  was  a  low,  shrill  whistle,  and  just 
a  whispered  word  from  Jesse: 

"  Now,  boys!  Quick,  and  quiet,  and  steady!"  That 
was  all;  and  instantly  the  train  was  boarded.  Bill 
McDaniels  held  the  engineer  and  fireman  under 
charge  of  two  pistols,  and  swore  if  they  as  much  as 
"winked  an  eye-brow"  he  would  shoot  them  dead. 

The  robbers  then  rushed  through  the  cars,  com- 
manding the  passengers  to  keep  their  seats  and  be 
silent  or  death  would  be  instantly  their  portion. 
Two  of  the  band  stood  on  the  platform  of  the  cars, 
with  cocked  pistols,  keeping,  each  of  them,  guard 
on  two  doors.  In  the  meantime  the  remaining  three 
rushed  to  the  baggage  car.  The  express  messenger 
was  overpowered,  and  ^in  less  time  than  it  takes  to 
write  the  story  the  van  was  sacked,  and  the  wild 
robbers  in  less  than  fifteen  minutes  had  possessed 
themselves  of  thirty  thousand  dollars  worth  of  gold 
dust,  and  silver  and  other  valuables  to  the  extent 
of  $25,000  more,  and  were  riding  away  into  the  dark 
winter's  night. 

They  had  stolen  in  that  brief  space  of  time,  with- 
out    the    slightest    effort    at    resistance,   fifty-five 


206        llie  Life  of  Frank  and  Jesse  James. 

thousand  dollars!  and  not  one  cent  of  that  huge 
sum  was  ever  got  back  again,  nor  were  one  of  the 
robbers  ever  arrested  on  the  charge  of  complicity 
in  this  affair. 

Of  course  they  were  vigorously  pursued,  and  of 
course  they  were  not  caught  I  And  after  all  there  is 
no  great  wonder.  It  was  a  good  deal  safer  to  put 
their  heads  in  a  lion's  mouth,  than  to  be  found  within 
range  of  the  unerring  pistols  of  the  Jameses  or  the 
Youngers,  or  the  desperate  Clell  Miller! 

Some  days  after  Bill  McDaniels  was  arrested  in 
Kansas  City  for  being  drunk,  and  there  were  found 
in  his  possession  a  sheep-skin  bag  and  a  large  sum 
of  money,  these  he  swore  he  had  honestl^^  earned  in 
Colorado.  But  these  possessions  looked  very  sus- 
picious, and  he  was  removed  to  Ljawrence,  Kansas, 
to  await  his  trial.  The  ill-fated  Lawrence  that 
Quantrell  and  his  band  so  utterly  destroyed;  when 
the  old  black  flag  was  flying,  and  Jim  Lane  and  his 
Jayhawkers  had  to  be  avenged.  Con  O'Hara,  a 
clever  detective,  was  detailed  to  pump  Bill  and  get 
him  to  squeal  about  the  Muncie  affair.  But  Con's 
hydraulic  powers  failed. 

''  Did  he  budge?"  said  O'Hara's  chief. 

'*  Divil  abit!"  said  Con,  ''coaxing  and  threaten- 
ing, it  was  all  the  same,  he  was  as  ignorant  as  a  pig 
and  as  dumb  as  Ailsa  Craig!" 

Being  taken  from  the  calaboose  at  Lawrence  for 
trial,  Bill  managed  to  escape.  And  for  a  whole 
week  he  was  hiding  in  the  woods.  At  last  a  citizen 
named  Banermann  fired  a  fatal  shot  and  McDaniels 


The  San  Antonio  Stage.  207 

lay  mortally  wounded.  But  even,  in  death  he  was 
true  to  his  partners  in  guilt,  and  would  not  devulge 
a  single  name  or  clue  to  make  plain  the  mystery  of 
Muncie's  successful  raid. 

The  robber-gang  was  highly  incensed  at  Bill  Mc- 
Daniels  for  allowing  himself  to  be  taken,  and  to  be 
taken  drunk,  but  after  his  fidelity,  even  in  death, 
they  wiped  out  the  memory  of  his  folly.  And  sitting 
one  night  soon  after  in  their  safe  retreat,  they  spoke 
of  him  only  what  they  thought  was  praiseworthy. 
If  it  had  been  a  genuine  Irish  wake,  they  could  not 
have  been  more  profuse  in  their  compliments,  and 
as  the  night  went  on 

Each  one  said 
"  Something  good  of  the  boy  who  was  dead." 

And  last  of  all  Jesse  charged  his  comrads  to  fill  a 
bumper  and  half -grimly,  half -sadly  said: 

"  D n  it  boys,  he  was  a  brick  after  all,  so  here's 

to  Bill  McDaniels,  tvherever  he  is,^'  added  Jesse 
with  a  strange  half  solemn  look,  "he  was  game  to 
the  last!  and  died  without  a  squeal!    Here's  to  Bill  I' 


CHAPTER  XXIX. 

THE  WAR  CARRIED  INTO  VIRGINIA. 

HALF  AN  HOUR  AT  HUNTINGDON — ANOTHER  BANK  ROB- 
BED— $10,000  IN  THIRTY  MINUTES — A  FOUR 
weeks'  hunt — TOM  MCDANIELS. 
KILLED— JACK    KEEN 
CAPTURED. 

There  is  i  very  fair  adage  that  claims  that  even 
the  devil  should  have  his  due.  It  is  believed  that 
even  he  may  be  painted  just  a  shade  darker  than  he 
is.  Weakly  wicked  people  are  wont  to  roll  up  pious 
eyes  and  lay  the  charge  of  their  miserable  follies  at 
Satan's  door.  This  gang  of  murderers  and  robbers 
whose  strange  history  we  are  tracing,  was  bad 
enough,  but  the  Jameses  and  the  Youngers  did  not 
do  all  the  shooting  and  plundering  that  was  done  in 
the  United  States.  Probably  many  things  have  been 
laid  to  their  charge  of  which  they  were  entirely 
guiltless.  One  offence  is  charged  to  them  which 
they  could  not  have  committed. 

A  robbery  was  committed  at  the  classic  little  town 
of  Corinth,  Alcorn  County,  Mississippi.  Now  be- 
tween Corinth  and  Muncie  many  hundreds  of  miles 

(208) 


ihe  War  Carvifd  into    Virtiinia.  ^09 

int<;>^vene..  And  it  is  impossible  that  the  James  boys 
could  be  at  Muncie  and  Corinth  on  the  same  day. 
Tliat  tliey  were  at  the  Muncie  affair  is  beyond  any 
reasonable  doubt.  The  allegation  that  they  were  at 
Corinth  must  therefore  be  utterly  set  aside,  as  a  false 
charge  against  the  Jameses  at  least.  They  may  have 
planned  the  robbery,  and  their  confreres  may  have 
executed  their  plans,  but  they  themselves  were  cer- 
tainly not  at  the  Corinth  raid. 

The  wild  war  however  was  carried  into  Virginia. 
In  April  1876,  Frank  James,  Cole  Younger,  Thoma- 
6on  McDaniels,  a  brother  of  the  brave  Bill  McDaniels 
who  took  the  secrets  of  his  compatriots  to  a  felon's 
grav^ — and  a  fellow  with  dark  eyes  and  beetling 
brows  named  Jack  Keen  resolved  upon  raiding  a 
bank  and  this  time  Westen  Virginia  was  made  the 
fteld  of  their  strange  enterprise. 

Huntingdon,  a  pretty  little  town  sweetly  embo- 
jBomed  amid  the  hills  of  Western  Virginia,  is  situated 
on  the  Ohio  river,  in  Cabell  County,  and  is  on  the 
line  of  the  Chesapeak  ?c  Ohio  Kailroad.  The  open- 
ing of  the  railway  had  given  the  little  town  of  3,000 
inhabitants  a  new  life.  And  the  sleepy  streets  be- 
€ame  quite  animated  by  the  vigor  of  a  new  commer- 
cial life.  The  Bank  of  Huntingdon  Avas  doing  a 
brisk  little  business,  and  Mr.  R.  T.  Oney  the  cashier 
was  widely  lespected  by  all  the  citizens  of  the  little 
thriving  to>vn. 

On  a  bright  i^ipHng  day  in  1876,  the  bank.er  was  con- 
versing with  a  gentleman  who  had  just  made  a  de- 
posit, the  common   talk  of  the  day  was  the  great 


210        The  Life  of  Frank  and  Jesse  James. 

Centennial  Exposition,  at  Philadelphia,  and  the 
banker  and  his  friend  and  customer  were  speculat- 
ing as  to  what  sort  of  an  opening  speech  General 
Grant  would  make. 

"Oh I  he  won't  say  much!  He'll  only  say  what 
he's  told  to  say,"  said  the  banker  half  sneeringly. 

"Do  you  know  "  said  the  customer  laughing  "  I 
think  that's  Grant's  salvation.  Whatever  he  owes 
to  his  valor  as  a  soldier,  he  owes  more  to  his  reticence 
as  a  Statesman.  I  don't  worship  the  General,  but  I 
have  again  and  again  admired  the  skill  with  which 
he  manages  to  say  nothing  impressively." 

"  You  remind  me"  said  the  banker  "  of  an  amus- 
ing criticism  I  heard  on  Count  Bismarck  the  last 
time  I  was  at  Cincinnatti,  a  most  enthusiastic 
German  admirer  of  the  great  chancellor  crowned  his 
eulogium  by  declaring  txiat  Count  Bismarck  knew 
how  to  hold  his  tongue  in  six  languages! " 

So  the  conversation  flowed  on.  It  was  two  o'clock 
in  the  afternoon.  Suddenly  four  men  well  mounted 
rode  up  Huntingdon  street,  they  excited  no  attention, 
they  made  no  special  sign.  Arrived  at  the  bank, 
two  of  them  dismounted  and  entered  the  bank. 
These  were  Frank  James  and  Cole  Younger.  They 
covered  the  cashier  and  his  customer  with  two 
pistols  assurring  them  that  their  one  chance  for 
life  was  to  keep  quiet.  The  safe  door  was  open. 
$10,000  in  ready  cash  were  speedily  rolled  into  a 
bag  brought  for  that  purpose.  With  more  threats, 
and  with  the  assurance  that  to  sound  an  alarm 
would    only  be   to   ring  their  own    funeral    knell; 


The  War  Carried  into  Virginia.  211 

the  robbers  mounted  their  horses  and  fled  away  to 
the  fastnesses  of  the  Virginia  hills.  Half  an  hour 
had  sufficed  for  this  romantic  transaction!  Time 
was  not  money  to  the  robbers,  it  was  more  it  was 
life!  In  thirty  minutes  they  had  gained  $10,000. 
They  could  hardly  have  made  it  quicker  in  Wall  St. 
or  at  the  Chicago  Board  of  Trade! 

As  the  robbers  rode  away  they  saw  the  citizens 
were  beginning  to  understand  the  state   of  affairs 
and  as  they  went  they  kept  firing  right  and  left  to 
intimidate  any  whv^  might  be  disposed  to  stay  their 
progress. 

Before  an  hour  had  passed  away  the  Sheriff  at  the 
head  of  twenty-five  citizers  set  out  in  hot  pursuit. 
The  authorities  of  other  counties  were  notified,  and 
very  soon  the  whole  of  that  region  became  a  hunting 
ground.  Bligh  the  St.  Louis  detective  was  largely 
directing  the  search.  Away  the  robbers  sped  into 
the  hills  and  hiding  places  of  eastern  Kentucky  and 
Tennessee.  A  hundred  miles  away  from  Hunting- 
don the  man  hunters  sighted  their  prey.  A  parley 
was  called  and  a  terrific  fight  ensued.  The  runaways 
had  been  compelled  to  abandon  their  horses.  In  the 
fray  a  bullet  found  its  way  to  Tom  McDaniel's  heart 
and  stopped  forever  its  wild  pulsations! 

That  hunt  lasted  four  weeks.  Jack  Keen  was 
captured  in  Fentress  County  Tennessee,  lodged  in 
Cabell  jail  and  afterwards  sentenced  to  eight  years 
imprisonment  in  the  penitentiary,  where  he  still  re- 
sides. 

The  two  leaders  Frank  James  and  Cole  Younger 


212        The  Life  of  Frank  and  Jesse  James. 

were  not  captured,  they   escaped  to  the  Indian  Ter- 
ritory.    The  spoils  not  having  been  yet  divided  the 
two  successful  robbers  bagged  $5,000  each. 
So  ended  the  Huntingdon  raid. 


CHAPTER    XXX. 

THE  ROCKY  CUT  SENSATION. 

#HE  BOYS  AT  OTTERVILLE!— THE  TRAIN  ON  THE  LAMINE 

bridge!— THE    RED    LIGHT— $17,000    IN    AN 

hour! — AWAY  INTO  THE  DARKNESS  I — 

HOBBS  KERRY  AND  THE  WHISKEY! — 

KERRY    APPEALS— "A    GOOD 

peacher!  " — 'FESSES 

TOO  much! 

After  the  escape  from  the  Huntingdon  raid  Frank 
met  his  brother  Jesse  in  the  Indian  Territory,  and 
30  far  from  being  dismayed  by  their 

' '  Hair  breadth  'scapes 
I'  the  imminent  deadly  breach," 

they  seemed  to  be  only  encouraged  to  further  wild 
adventures.  The  perils  that  would  have  filled  timid 
minds  with  fear  and  dread,  seemed  to  be  to  these 
boys  a  perfect  inspiration.  They  were  playing  a 
high  game,  they  had  made  great  hauls,  and  the 
glitter  of  the  gold  made  them  disposed  to  underesti- 
mate the  perils  that  thickened  about  them  and  in- 
creased with  every  wild  raid. 
A  long  and  carefully  prepared  plot  was  now  ar- 
(213) 


;S14        The  Life  of  Frank  and  Jesse  James. 

ranged  for  the  wrecking  of  an  express  train.  The 
gang  was  increasing,  but  this  increase  was  not 
without  some  disadvantages.  The  larger  number 
became  unwieldy  in  management,  the  chances  of 
arousing  suspicion  were  greater,  the  chances  of 
capture  were  increased  ;  and  when  it  came  to  the 
simplest  of  all  questions,  the  dividing  of  the  spoils, 
then  it  was  found  much  easier  to  divide  $10,000 
among  four  than  seven!  Still,  this  gang  set  them- 
selves to  their  perilous  tasks — Bill  Longley,  Sam 
Bass.,  the  Haskins  and  Moores  of  the  Indian  Terri- 
tory, and  last  of  all,  Hobbs  Kerry,  a  Texan  ranger, 
who  had  all  the  wickedness  but  none  of  the  pluck 
and  endurance  necessary  to  make  a  first-class  vil- 
lain. Kerry  was  never  fit  for  any  dangerous  post, 
and  the  wonder  is  that  he  gained  admission  to  the 
gang  at  all!  He  never  did  anything  but  hold  the 
horses  of  the  robbers,  and  when  caught  at  last  by 
his  own  drunken  folly  he  gave  his  comrades  shame- 
fully away .  The  point  determined  on  for  this  dar- 
ing robbery  was  a  little  spot  known  as  Rocky  Cut, 
about  four  miles  east  of  Otterville,  in  Pettis  county, 
Missouri.  At  this  Rocky  Cut  a  huge  bridge  spanned 
the  Lamine  river,  and  a  watchman  was  always 
kepu  hi  Icfnely  guardianship  of  the  bridge.  The  plan 
which  so  thoroughly  succeeded,  was  to  capture  the 
watchman,  show  the  red  light  when  the  train  ap- 
proached, and  then  as  the  train  stopped  board  it, 
rob  the  express  car,  and  then  fly  for  life. 

All  the  plans  were  most  carefully  and  thoroughly 
digested.     Nothing  was  left  to  chance  or  peradven- 


Tke  Rocky  Cat  Sensation.  ^15 

ture.  The 'time  fixed  was  July  the  8th,  187G.  The 
plan  had  been  largely  concocted  in  the  fertile  brain 
of  Frank  James,  but  Jesse  was  undoubtedly  the 
leading  spirit  of  its  execution.  As  of  old  time  the 
animals  entered  the  ark  in  pairs,  so  on  the  afternoon 
of  the  8th  of  July  the  gang  gathered  at  the  appoint 
ed  rendezvous. 

The  robbers  came  along 

Two  by  two ; 
There  was  Frank  and  Chell 

And  Jesse  too : 
And  there  was  one  more  river  to  cross. 

The  rendezvous  was  about  two  miles  east  of  the 
Lamine  river.  By  sundown  the  whole  posse  had 
arrived.  Hushed  and  silent  they  marched  in  that 
summer  twilight,  till  they  found  within  a  hundred 
yards  of  the  bridge  a  thick,  dense  copse  crowded 
with  trees  in  their  richest  foliage,  and  thick  enough 
to  be  a  safe  and  secure  covert  from  all  ordinary 
gaze.  Here  their  horses  were  secured  and  left  in 
charge  of  Bill  Chadwell  and  Hobbs  Kerry.  It  was 
now  close  upon  nine  o'clock.  The  business  of  secur- 
ing the  watchman  was  delegated  to  Chell  Miller, 
Charlie  Potts  and  Bob  Younger.  Accordingly  they 
went  down  to  the  bridge  between  nine  and  ten 
o'clock.  The  watchman,  hearing  footsteps,  cried 
out  with  voice  as  full  of  astonishment  as  command: 

''  Hello!  who's  there?  What  do  you  want  at  this 
time  o'night?" 

With  that  he  swung  his  lantern  and  stared  into 
the  faces  of  his  late  visitors,   only  to  be  terrified 


21 C        The  Life  of  Frank  and  Jesse  James, 

with  the  sight  of  a  pair  of  heavy  navy  revolvers 
most  uncomfortably  near  his  venerable  nose. 

'•What  are  you  going  to  do  with  me?"  asked  the 
astonished  watchman. 

*' You  keep  still,  that's  all  you  have  to  do,"  was 
the  reply. 

"But  you  ain't  going  to  hurt  me?"  he  inquired. 

'•What  do  we  want  to  hurt  you  for?  We  want 
that  money  on  the  train,  that's  all  we  care  for.  So 
give  up  your  lantern  and  come  along  and  be  quiet, 
and  you'll  be  all  right!  But  if  you're  fool  enough  to 
make  a  noise — why,  lookee  here  I — smell  o'  that! "  and 
with  this  piece  of  good  advice,  Jesse  put  the  muzzle 
of  his  revolver  still  nearer  the  old  man's  nose. 

The  old  man  had  passed  the  age  when  a  man 
must  be  either  a  fool  or  a  philosopher,  and  he  had 
chosen  the  philosophic  side,  and  therefore  he  gave 
everything  up  to  the  robbers,  and  seemed  indeed 
much  more  disposed  to  oblige  his  late  visitors  than 
to  cross  or  vex  them.  The  poor  old  watchman  was 
taken  away  into  temporary  captivity. 

At  a  rocky  cut,  the  rails  were  loosened  and  ob- 
structions placed  upon  the  track.  The  red  lantern 
of  the  watchman  w^as  prepared  and  concealed,  to  be 
used  at  the  proper  moment,  and  all  lay  waiting  for 
the  game  that  must  certainly  fall  into  the  trap  so 
simply  laid. 

All  was  now  ready,  the  danger  signal  was  to  be 
shown  by  Charlie  Pitts.  The  robbers  lay  down  iri 
ambush,  and  scarcely  spoke  a  word  for  nearly  an 
hour. 


'Th(^  Bocky  Cut  Sensation,  ^^  '^ 

At  last  the  Missouri  Pacific  train  with  its  costly 
freight  came  tearing  along.  The  danger  signal  was 
hoisted,  the  train  stopped  and  was  immediately 
boarded  by  these  masked  robbers.  The  passengers 
were  held  in  check  bv  a  robber  at  each  door  of  the 
car,  with  loaded  irons,  threatening  death  if  any  of 
them  should  rise  for  one  moment  from  their  seats. 
It  was  now  the  uniform  policy  of  the  band  to  be  sat- 
isfied with  whatever  was  found  in  the  express  car. 
The  robber-guards,  therefore,  were  free  to  promise 
the  passengers  that  if  they  sat  still  they  should  go 
on  their  way  unmolested.  The  leaders  of  the  work 
of  plunder  compelled  the  express  messengers,  under 
threats  of  instant  death,  to  open  the  safe.  The  con- 
tents were  then  emptied  into  a  leather  sack,  without 
which  the  boys  never  traveled. 

The  shrill  whistle  of  Jesse  James  indicated  that 
the  job  was  done.  The  train  was  ordered  forward. 
The  robbers  seized  every  moment  of  time,  mounted 
their  horses  and  rode  away  into  the  darkness  of  that 
Missourian  summer  night. 

The  whole  transaction  had  hardly  taken  the  space 
of  one  brief  hour  and  the  result  was  $17,000,  besides 
jewelry  and  many  valuables. 

The  robbers  rode  on  in  a  southerly  direction.  The 
story  of  their  bloodless  exploit  had  been  telegraphed 
all  over  the  western  states.  The  detectives  of  St. 
Louis,  Kansas  City,  Chicago  and  even  of  the  sea- 
board cities  were  all  on  the  alert,  but  before  the  July 
sun  rose  on  the  morning  of  the  9th  the  robbers  ha'd 
ridden  fifty  miles,  found  a  dark  safe  spot  where  they 


218        The  Life  of  Frank  and  Jes§e  James, 

divided  the  spoils,  and  adjourned  sine  die.  They 
went  away  in  couples  and  for  a  time  there  seemed 
no  clue  to  the  identity  of  the  robbers,  save  only  the 
common  sense  clue,  that  only  the  Jameses  and  the 
Youngers  Avere  equal  to  such  tasks — "Jesse  James 
his  mark" — was  pretty  plain  on  all  these  border 
raids. 

Not  one  of  the  band  was  taken  save  Hobbs  Kerry, 
And  he  first  of  all  gave  himself  utterly  away.  Hobbs 
had  been  all  along  half  rogue,  whole  beggar;  hang- 
ing on  to  an}'  skirts,  dirty  or  clean,  if  it  did  but  pay 
for  the  time.  He  finds  himself  now  in  unusual  good 
luck.  He  had  by  a  pure  fluke,  as  f  ;r  as  he  was  con- 
cerned, come  in  for  a  big  bonanza  'J  he  beggar  was 
suddenly  placed  on  horseback,  ar  ■  no  took  the  usual 
ride! 

Both"  the  Jameses  were  worried  about  Hobbs  Ker- 
ry. They  didn't  know  him,  and  they  were  more  than 
a  little  surprised  that  they  had  trusted  him  so  far  on 
60  slight  an  acquaintance. 

'*  If  the  cub  should  be  caught,  they  might  make 
him  squeal,"  said  Frank,  thoughtfully. 

''  Time  enough  to  worry  about  that  when  he's 
caught  and  squeals  I"  answered  Jesse,  who  left  all 
the  business  of  borrowing  trouble  to  his  more  sedate 
elder  brother. 

At  the  same  time  even  Jesse  could  not  wholly  dis- 
guise from  himself  that  he  felt  a  little  nervous  about 
the  "Cub." 

Kerry  had  parted  company  from  Pitts  and  Chad- 
well  after  fording  the  Grand  River,  and  now  flush 


The  Rocky  Cut  Sensation,  219 

with  ready  cash,  he  goes  to  Fort  Scott  in  Kansas, 
and  there  arrays  liiniself  in  gorgeous  array,  and  be- 
gins to  play  the  '"  fast  young  gentleman,"  which  is 
only  another  name  for  the  '^perfect  fool."  He  vis- 
ited Fort  Scott,  Vinita.  Parsons,  Granby,  and  Jop- 
lin;  and  had  a  good  time  with  the  boys  generally. 
And  just  as  long  as  the  "  stamps  "*  were  on  hand 
there  were  plenty  of  the  boys  ready  to  help  him 
have  his  good  time.  It  was  women  and  whisky  and 
cards,  alternating  |  with  whisky  and  cards  and 
women!  For  about  six  weeks  he  had  "a  high  old 
time."  Bagnios,  gambling-hells,  dance-houses,  he 
squandered  his  ill-gotten  money,  and  when  the 
whisky  was  in  he  forgot  to  be  mum!  He  was 
watched  and  betrayed.  One  of  the  many  ladies  of 
his  acquaintance,  who  were  willing  to  love  him  inost 
devotedly  nearly  all  the  time  his  money  lasted,  sold 
him  to  a  detective  for  a  higher  price.  This  was 
good,  sound,  political  economy.  Buying  in  the 
cheapest  market  and  selling  in  the  dearest.  The 
"  Cub  "  had  nothing  to  complain  of.  The  man  who 
utterly  gives  himself  away  ought  to  think  himself 
honored  when  anybody  stoops  to  make  a  bargain  of 
him.  Hobbs  Kerry  was  arrested  through  blabbing 
when  the  drink  was  in.  And,  of  course,  after  cool- 
ing his  heels  a  little  he  was  quite  ready  to  squeal. 
And  as  the  detectives  said  he  made  "a  good  poach- 
er!" Like  Topsy,  who  cries  out,  ''Oh!  golly,  ain't  I 
wicked,"  and  then  luxuriating  in  iniquity  '"fosses  ' 
to  faults  of  which  she  is  utterly  guiltless;  so  this  poo' 
fool  '"fessed  "  too  much;  until  the  shrewdest  detect 


220        The  Life  of  Frank  and  Jesse  James. 

tive  didn't  know  how  much  or  how  little  of  his  wild 
story  to  helieve.  He  certainly  neither  served  his 
own  cause  nor  harmed  the  James  boys  by  his  revel- 
ations. 

Frank  and  Jesse  denounced  him  as  a  fraud  and 
declared  all  the  story  of  the  "danger  signal"  as  born 
of  a  wild  mad  brain;  and  for  some  time  they  were 
thoroughly  believed  by  thousands  in  the  Western 
States.  They  had  still  hundreds  of  friends,  and 
thoroughly  disinterested  friends,  too. 

Large  rewards  were  offered  for  the  robbers  of  the 
train  at  Otterville.  The  whole  economy  of  detective 
forces  were  at  work,  Missouri,  Arkansas,  Kentucky 
and  the  Indian  Territory  were  scoured  for  months. 
But  not  a  dollar  of  the  stolen  money  was  ever  found, 
nor  one  of  the  robbers  caught,  excepting  Hobbs  Ker- 
ry—the ''Cub!" 


CHAPTER    XXXL 

A  MINISTRY  RECORD  WILDER  THAN    HOMANCE. 

THE  ROBBERS   IN    COUNCIL — THE    PLACE    OF    RAID    DE- 
CIDED UPON — BILL  CHADWELL  TO   BE   GUIDE — THE 
TREBLE  TRAGEDY  OF  NORTHFIELD — THE  FATAL 
SEPT.  6th,  1S7G!— hay  ward  shot  DEAD- 
BUNKER     WOUNDED— THE     SCENE     IN 
THE  JSTREET — THE   GALLANT     DR. 
WHEELER— BILL   CHADWELL 
AND      CHARLEY      PITTS 
KILLED— A   BLACK 
THURSDAY  FOR 
THE  ROBBER 
BAND. 

One  of  the  reasons  why  the  robbers  were  so  suc- 
cessful in  their  raids,  and  especially  successful  in 
their  escapes,  was  tlie  fact  that  they  were  perfectly 
conversant  with  the  country  where  their  dark  deeds 
were  perpetrated.  There  was  not  a  nook  or  corner 
in  WesternJMissouri  with  which  the  James  boys  ha^l^ 
not  made  themselves  perfectly  familiar.  To  sav 
they  knew  Clay  county  like  a  book  is  to  say  ver-*- 

(231) 


^)i2        The  Life-  of  Frank  and  Jesse  James, 

little;  they  knew  it  much  more  perfectly  than  the 
most  diligent  student  ever  knew  a  book  I  And*so, 
when  the  work  of  blood  or  pillage  was  done,  they 
knew  just  exactly  which  way  to  take  for  safety, 
without  wasting  time  or  going  a  mile  out  of  their 
way.  Swift  horses,  prompt  action,  and  a  thorough 
knowledge  of  the  geography  of  the  place,  will  ac- 
count fully  for  many  of  their  hair-breadth  escapes. 

"Never  stir  an  inch  till  you  know  the  lay  of  the 
land,  or  you're  a  goner,"  was  one  of  Frank  James' 
most  sober  lines  of  advice. 

The  baffled  and  defeated  detectives,  who  had 
shown  but  little  sagacity,  whatever  zeal  and  courage 
they  might  possess,  were  beating  chiefly  about  the 
bushes  of  Western  Missouri.  But  they  were  beating 
to  little  purpose.  They  were  no  match  for  the  wary 
robbers,  either  in  baffling  their  plans  or  securing  their 
capture  after  the  murder  was  done  or  the  plunder 
taken.  Russelville,  Gallatin,  Corydon,  Columbia, 
St..  Genevieve,  Gadshill  and  Muncie,  were  all  una- 
venged  I  And  people  grew  impatient  I  It  seemed 
as  if  these  robberies  and  murders  should  be  hindered 
or  the  perpetrators  captured. 

"One  of  two  things  is  clear,"  said  a  Senator  of 
Missouri;  "either  the  detectives  are  in  league  with 
these  outlaws  or  they  are  utterly  incompetent  to  cope 
with  them." 

And,  speaking  thus,  he  echoed  a  sentiment  that 
was  fast  gaining  ground.  But  it  must  not  be  for- 
gotten that,  while  the  robbers  did  everything  quick- 
ly, they  never  did  anything  rashly.     The  plan  once 


A  Ministry  Record  Wilder  ihan  Romance.     223 

thoroughly  and  carefully  considered,  they  struck 
the  blow  short,  sharp  and  decisive.  And  before  the 
echoes  of  that  blow  had  died  away  they,  like  the 
witches  in  Macbeth,  had 

"Vanished  into  thin  air." 

Not  infrequently  the  detectives  would  be  most  di- 
ligently scouring  one  region  of  country  when,  to 
their  surprise,  just  as  they  thought  they  had  salted 
the  tails  of  their  wild  birds,  they  heard  of  some  dar- 
ing trick  of  these  ubiquitous  devils  five  hundred 
miles  in  another  direction. 

It  Avas,  moreover,  very  remarkable  that  their 
means  of  communication  were  so  perfect.  It  was 
scarcely  possible  for  the  hunters  to  make  a  move  or 
plan  a  campaign  without  the  robbers  knowing  all 
about  it.  At  the  time  of  which  we  are  writing,  the 
detectives  held  Missouri,  Arkansas,  Texas^  Ken- 
tucky and  Iowa  under  a  kind  of  surveillance.  And 
with  this  fact  the  James  boys  were  perfectly  well 
acquainted.  Their  redoubtable  mother — their  trusty 
and  ablest  ally — rendered  them  most  efficient  as- 
sistance in  this  direction.  And  now,  tiring  of  inac- 
tion, as  they  always  did  after  a  brief  space  of  rest 
and  revelry,  they  held  a  council  of  war,  to  which 
the  notorious  Bill  Chad  well  was  invited.  The  coun- 
cil was  held  in  a  forest  in  Clay  county,  not  far  from 
the  house  of  Dr.  Samuels;  the  whole  plans  were  sub- 
mitted to  Mrs.  Samuels  and  met  with  her  approval. 
That  strange,  awful  spirit  of  hatred  that  possessed 
her  prior  to  the  midnight  raid  upon  her  home,-  when 


224        The  Life  of  Frank  and  Jesse  James, 

her  darling  boy  was  killed,  Susie  wounded,  and  he* 
own  arm  shattered,  had  grown  in  intensity.  If  she 
breathed  vengeance  against  all  detectives  before, 
she  now  breathed  vengeance  doubly  distilled.  It 
was  her  boast,  made  over  and  over  again : 

"I  hate  all  detectives  as  I  hate  the  devil,  and  if  1 
had  my  way  Td  send  them  all  where  they  belong 
before  sundown  I" 

The  reason  for  inviting  Bill  Chadwell,  the  notori- 
ous Minnesota  horse-thief,  to  this  council  was  to  con- 
sult him  as  to  the  geographical  characteristics  of 
their  new  field  of  daring.  In  following  his  nefari- 
ous occupation,  Chadwell  had  been  compelled  to 
ride  through  all  the  region  over  which  they  proposed 
to  extend  their  visits.  It  was  arranged,  after  a  long 
consultation,  that  Chadwell  should  act  as  guide 
through  the  new  paths  of  peril,  that  were  destined 
to  prove  so  fatal  to  the  weird  council  which 
met  in  the  light  of  the  harvest  moon,  under  the 
sombre  shadows  of  the  Missouri  forest.  Chadwell 
had  many  friends  who  could  be  relied  upon  if  any 
danger  came,  to  render  assistance  and  shelter. 

One  of  the  motives  that  suggested  that  the  out- 
laws should  try  their  fortune  in  a  northern  direction 
was  in  order  to  utterly  confuse  the  officers  in  pur- 
suit of  them.  Moreover,  the  time  was  opportune. 
The  grain  growers  were  just  disposing  of  their 
crops.  The  farmers  were  flush.  There  were  plenty 
of  funds  in  the  banks.  And  the  fact  that  Minnesota 
had  heard  of  them  only,  and  not  seen  them,  and  cer- 
tainly had  no  anticipation  of  a  visit  from  such  illus- 


A  Ministry  Record  Wilder  Than  Romance. 


Oor, 


trious  adventurers,  all  seemed  to  speak  in  favor  of 
the  experiment. 

The  gang  was  made  up  of  a  double  quartette  of 
daring  bravadoes  I  Frank  and  Jesse  James,  Cole- 
man, Jim  and  Bob  Younger,  Charlie  Pitts,  Cheff  Mil- 
ler and  Bill  Cliadwell,  the  latter  acting  as  guide. 

The  place  for  assault  was  a  matter  of  debate. 
Cole  Younger,  as  was  afterwards  believed,  was 
moved  by  his  "  good  angel" — for  even  these  men 
believed  in  their  good  and  bad  angels — in  opposing 
for  some  inexplicable  reason  the  raid  into  Minne- 
sota. He  would  have  preferred  Canada,  and  said 
that  London,  Toronto  and  Montreal,  or  even  King- 
ston, the  city  of  the  Ontairo  penitentiary,  could  by 
new  and  special  methods  be  worked  effectively.  It 
was  a  law  amongst  the  robbers  that  the  majority  in 
council  ruled  absolutely.  Every  one  of  them  had 
the  fullest  opportunity  of  speech,  but  the  vote  once 
taken  there  was  no  appeal,  and  every  man  threw 
himself  into  the  scheme  with  all  enthusiasm. 

Mankato  was  first  thought  of,  but  Bill  Chadwell 
had  a  friend  at  Mankato  whose  information  pointed 
in  the  direction  of  Northfield  as  a  more  likely 
theatre  for  their  daring  drama. 

The  band  of  eight  divided  themselves  and  took 
different  ways.  On  the  3d  of  September  they  met 
at  Mankato  and  completed  their  plans  of  robbing 
the  Northfield  Bank.  Their  place  of  rendezvous 
was  the  house  of  one  of  Chadwell's  warmest  friends. 
They  came  and  held  their  council  unnoticed  and  un- 
known.    All  was  quiet,  and  not  the  least  suspicion 


226        The  Life  of  Frank  and  Jesse  James. 

was  abroad  that  any  robbery  was  contemplated. 
There  never  was  in  all  their  previous  adventures 
more  promising  auguries  of  success.    But  alas!  alas! 

'•Tlie  best  laid  plans  o'  mice  and  men  gang  aft  agee!" 

Northfield  is  a  pleasant  little  town  on  the  line  of 
the  Milwaukee  &  St.  Paul  Railroad,  in  the  north- 
eastern di^ -sion  of  Rice  county.  It  has  a  population 
of  some  2,500  souls.  Its  inhabitants  are  for  the 
most  part  hardy  pioneers  or  the  sons  of  pioneers, 
and  they  have  the  reputation  of  being  a  thoroughly 
vigorous  people  who  were  not  to  be  played  with  in 
any  sense  of  the  word.  Chadwell  was  not  un- 
acquainted with  their  characteristics,  for  in  his 
lawless  career  he  had  more  than  once  had  occasion 
to  know  the  sturdy  kind  of  stuff  of  which  they  were 
made.  But  the  great  prize  was  at  the  Northfield 
bank;  that  was,  no  doubt,  much  richer  than  the 
banks  of  St.  Peter  and  Mankato.  ''Nothing  ven- 
ture, nothing  win,"  is  a  sort  of  devil's  logic  that 
has  lured  many  a  man  on  to  peril,  and  will  do  again. 
Everything  was  staked  on  Northfield.  and  the 
Northfieldians  went  about  their  business  that  bright 
Thursday  morning,  little  dreaming  what  that  day 
was  to  bring  forth  in  their  quiet,  plodding  little 
community. 

Just  about  noon  three  strangers  on  horse-back 
came  in  from  the  north  by  the  Dundas  road  and 
went  and  dined  on  the  west  side  of  the  Cannon 
river,  which  flows  through  the  village.  During  the 
dinner  they  were  talking  on  politics  generally,  and 
one  of  the  three  offered  to  bet  $100  on  the  result  of 


A  Ministry  Record  Wilder  Than  Romance.    227 

the  coming  fall  elections.  These  things  were  freely 
canvas£:ed  afterwards,  but  no  special  interest  was 
excited  more  than  would  be  by  any  ordinary  stran- 
gers passing  through  the  village. 

The  bank  building  was  in  the  chief  block  on  the 
public  square.  After  their  dinner  these  three  stran- 
gers— who  were  Frank  and  Jesse  James  and  Cole- 
man Younger — tied  up  their  horses  nearly  in  front 
of  the  bank,  and  after  a  brief  chat,  which  seemed 
to  be  of  a  most  unimportant  kind,  they  entered  the 
bank.  At  this  moment  three  fierce-looking  men 
rode  in  mad  haste  over  the  east  bridge  into  the 
village,  yelling  like  demons,  brandishing  their  re- 
volvers and  shooting  wildly  right  and  left,  while 
two  others  came  from  the  west  in  the  same  mad 
fashion,  shooting  out  and  commanding  all  people  to 
go  into  their  houses  and  keep  quiet.  Meantime  a 
terrible  tragedy  was  being  transacted  at  the  bank. 
The  three  brigands  leapt  over  the  counter  and 
Frank  James  drew  his  knife  and  held  it  at  the 
throat  of  Mr.  J.  L.  Haywood,  the  cashier  of  the 
bank,  demanding  that  he  should  at  once  open  the 
safe. 

''  I  will  do  no  such  thing,"  said  the  brave  cashier. 

^'  Quick  now,"  said  Jesse,  "or  you  die  like  a  dog!" 

"I  can't  help  that,"  said  Mr.  Haywood.  ''I  will 
do  my  duty,  if  I  die!" 

"Then  die,"  said  Jesse,  and  in  less  than  a  moment 
a  bullet  went  wizzing  through  the  cashier's  brain, 
and  he  fell  instantly  dead  at  his  assassin's  feet. 

"You,  here,"   said    Cole   Younger   to   Mr.  A.   E. 


228        The  Life  of  Frank  and  Jesse  James. 

Bunker,  the  assistant  cashier,  ''come  and  open  thia 
safe,  or  you  see  what  your  luck  will  be!"  Bunkei 
declared  he  did  not  know  the  combination,  and  with 
that  made  a  bold  dash  and  escaped  through  the  back 
door;  but  as  he  was  flying  from  the  scene  of  death 
he  received  a  bullet  in  his  left  shoulder.  Mr.  Frank 
Wilcox,  the  junior  clerk,  escaped  without  any 
molestation. 

The  robbers  then  searched  for  the  cashier's  money 
box,  but  they  found  nothing  but  a  very  small  box 
half  filled  with  nickels.  This  they  scattered  in  grim 
disgust  over  the  form  cf  the  dead  cashier,  who  lay 
in  a  pool  of  blood.  They  pursued  their  search  a  lit- 
tle longer,  when  the  strange  excitement  of  the  street 
arrested  their  attention. 

A  fearful  scene  met  their  gaze.  Dr.  Wheeler,  a 
brave  and  courageous  gentleman  who  occupied 
rooms  immediately  opposite  the 'bank  building,  saw 
what  was  going  on,  and  scaring  up  an  old  shotgun 
took  deliberate  aim  at  one  of  the  mounted  brigands 
and  shot  him  througli  the  heart,  and  Charlie  Pitts, 
as  great  a  curse  in  Texas  as  the  James  boys  were  in 
Missouri,  gave  one  wild  yell,  and  cried  as  he  threw 
up  his  arms, — 

"My  god!  Boys  I'm  done  for!"  and  with  an 
awful  spasm  of  agony  he  fell  head  foremost  upon 
his  horse's  neck,  dead  ! 

The  valiant  Dr.  Wheeler  fired  again,  and  this 
time  Bill  Chadwell  received  the  deadly  message  and 
rolled  mortalb  wounded  from  his  horse.  He  had 
just  strength  to  groan  out  to  one  of  his  comrades: 


A  Muiisirij  Record  Wilder  Thau  Romance,     229 

**  Take  my  revolvers,  keep  'em  for  my  sake,"  and 
these  were  the  last  words  of  the  greatest  desperado 
and  horse-thief  ever  raised  in  Minnesota. 

Others  now  joined  the  fray.  Mr.  A.  K.  Manning^ 
Joe  Hyde  and  George  Betts  obtair  )d  guns  and 
joined  in  the' dreadful  melee.  Excitement  ran  wild. 
Another  of  the  bandits  was  wounded  and  fell  from 
hishorse,  which  ran  riderless  out  of  the  town,  but 
one  of  his  companions  flung  him  across  his  horse 
and  rode  away  with  him.  At  this  point  a  Mr.  J.  S. 
Alien,  a  brave  and  highly  respected  citizen,  turned 
his  steps  toward  the  bank,  but  he  was  soon  arrested 
with  the  threat;  '^D— n  you  turn  back.  I'll  blow 
your  brains  out  if  you  squeal." 

Things  had  got  to  a  horrible  pass.  Two  of  the 
robbers  lay  dead  in  the  street,  another  was  badly 
wounded,  and  Dr.  Wheeler  and  Mr.  Manning  were 
both  firing  away  with  most  admired  zeal. 

Northfield  was  turned  into  a  perfect  pandemonium. 
An  eye  witness  of  that  awful  scene  says  : 

**  It  was  as  if  hell  was  let  loose,  and  men  of  ordi- 
nary quiet  character  sprung  into  demons  in  an 
hour !" 

Frank  and  Jesse  James  and  Cole  Younger,  com- 
ing out  of  the  bank,  took  the  whole  situation  in  in  a 
moment,  and  leaped  to  their  horses  and  fled  from 
the  awful  scene.  But  quick  as  thought  the  insulted 
citizens  of  Northfield  resolved  on  avenging  them- 
selves of  these  blood-thirsty  cut  throats,  and  with 
all  speed  fifty  of  them  mounted  and  set  off  in  hot 
Dursuitc 


230        ITie  Life  of  Frank  and  Jesse  James, 

It  was  indeed  ''  Black  Thursday ''  in  the  history  or 
that  lawless  brood.  Two  of  the  leaders  dead  and  a 
third  wounded.     But 

'Bad  begins  and  worse  remains  behind." 

The  tragic  raid  into  Minnesota  did  not  exhaust  all 
its  dark  and  dread  romance  in  the  quiet  town  of 
Northfield.  Over  hill  and  dale  and  through  forest 
and  ravine  the  trail  of  blood  was  carried.  To  fol- 
low that  trail  will  be  our  business  in  the  next  chap- 
ter. 


CHAPTEE    XXXIL 

THE  MINNESOTA  TRAGEDY  CONTINUED. 

HUNTED  TO  DEATH— THE  CITIZENS  IN  HOT   PURSUIT  !  -^ 

FOUR  HUNDRED  HUNTING  SIX  I — THE  PATHS  DIVIDE! 

— THE   SAD  END  OF  THE   YOUNGERS  AND  CLELL 

MILLER  —  THE  DREADFUL  SWAMPS  BY  THE 

WATONWAN    RIVER  —  THE    ESCAPE 

OF   THE   JAMES   BROTHERS. 

The  Jobbers  had  never  known  such  an  entire 
defeat  as  they  suffered  this  Thursday,  September 
the  6th.  Hitherto  from  the  days  of  Quantrell's  Black 
Flag  till  now,  victory  seemed  to  be  on  their  side. 
But  now  defeat  of  the  most  humiliating  sort  was 
theirs. .  They  had  not  secured  a  cent  from  the  North- 
field  Bank.  The  blood  of  the  much  respected  Mr. 
Haywood  was  lying  on  the  bank  floor,  crying  to  be 
avenged,  and  the  whole  populace  was  stirred  to  the 
deepest  depths.  Before  the  Jameses  could  leave  the 
town  there  were  fifty  citizens  mounted  and  ready 
for  the  pursuit.  Chadwell  and  Pitts  lay  dead  in  the 
streets,  but  they  had  no  time  to  take  a  last  look  at 
their  cold  faces!    Away  they  sped,  for  there  was 

(231) 


232        The  Life  of  Frank  and  Jesse  James. 

aanger  in  the  air.  And  every  moment  of  delay  en- 
dangered them  more  and  more. 

Information  of  the  murder  and  attempted  robbery 
was  spread  far  and  wide,  it  thrilled  along  the  tele- 
graph wires,  it  was  borne  on  every  breeze,  it  was 
passed  from  lip  to  lip.  There  was  but  one  topic  of 
conversation  in  that  whole  region  and  that  was  con- 
cerning the  tragedy  at  Northfield  In  less  than 
twency-four  hours,  four  hundred  well  armed  citizens 
had  formed  themselves  into  a  compact  phalanx  to 
rid  the  region  of  these  murdering,  plundering  scoun- 
drels! And  it  must  be  admitted  that  they  were  more 
successful  than  all  the  detective  forces  had  ever 
been.  Albeit  they  did  not  capture  either  Frank  or 
Jesse  James. 

*'  These  detectives,"  said  one  of  the  hunting  party, 
**are  always  going  to  do  something!  They  have  a 
way  of  looking  awfully  wise  and  cunning.  There's 
mystery  enough  in  one  smart  detective  to  run  a 
country,  but  its  about  all  mystery.  Darn  them!  If 
they  were  worth  their  salt  poor  Haywood  wouldn't 
be  lying  in  his  coffin  to-day." 

"You're  about  right,"  said  his  companion,  ''the 
only  way  to  take  these  men,  is  just  to  go  and  take 
them  dead  or  alive !  And,  I  for  one,  don't  mean  to 
come  back  till  we've  rid  Minnesota  of  these  shame- 
less blacklegs!" 

The  tidings  soon  reached  St.  Paul,  and  Captain 
Macy, private  secretary  to  Governor  Pillsbury,  of- 
fered under  the  instructions  of  the  Governor  a  re- 
vrard  of  $1,000  for  each  of  the  robbers,  or  $6,000  for 


IJie  Minnesota  Tragedy  Continued.  23b 

the  survivers  of  this  band  of  men  exceeding  bold. 

The  bandits  fled,  but  they  found  that  the  terrible 
news  was  ahead  of  them,  and  every  way,  and  ford, 
and  creek,  was  guarded  by  some  volunteers  who 
were  set  on  their  capture.  They  came  to  the  little 
village  of  Shieldsville  and  they  galloped  through 
the  long  street,  firing  right  and  left  and  yelling  like 
demons  to  secure  for  themselves  a  safe  passage.  On 
they  passed  into  LeSeur  County.  Jim  Younger  was 
bleeding  well-nigh  to  death  and  his  blood  trail  served 
as  a  guide  for  the  pursuers.  It  is  averred  but 
with  what  of  truth  if  it  is  impossible  to  tell  that 
Jesse  James  wanted  to  have  Jim  Younger 
killed,  to  put  him  out  of  awful  misery  and  make 
their  escape  more  sure.  But  this  has  an  air  of  great 
improbability  about  it.  For  when  the  Youngers  and 
the  Jameses  did  part,  they  parted  as  friends,  and 
the  Youngers  consigned  to  their  comrades  the  cus- 
tody of  all  their  money  and  jewels,  which  would 
hardly  have  been  the  case  if  so  wanton  and  cruel 
a  proposition  had  been  made. 

The  fugitives  wandered  on  day  after  day  and 
night  after  night,  until  at  last  their  jaded  and  wear- 
ied horses  had  to  be  left,  and  for  further  purposes  of 
safety  they  thought  it  best  to  proceed  on  foot.  Bill 
Chadwell,  who  was  their  guide  and  to  whom  they 
trusted  to  pilot  them  through  a  new  country,  was 
lying  dead  at  Northfield.  And  they  were  often- 
times at  their  wit's  end  through  their  ignorance  of 
the  geography  of  the  country.  They  were  afraid  to 
turn  lest  the  turn  should  land  them  into  the  lap  of 


234        Ihe  Life  of  Frank  and  Jesse  James, 

their  enemies.  After  six  days  of  this  weary  pil= 
grim  age  they  came  round  by  Mankato  and  hoped 
against  liope  that  their  pursuers  were  growing 
weary  of  the  search,  they  came  upon  a  farm  house 
and  begged  a  chicken — for  they  had  lived  chiefly  on 
green  corn  for  a  week — but  they  had  to  fly,  for  they 
heard  the  shouts  of  people  who  were  mad  with 
excitement,  because  they  thought  they  had  the  fugi- 
itives  almost  in  their  grasp.  They  were  fired  upon 
and  both  the  Jameses  were  wounded  somewhat 
seriously. 

The  day  after  this  episode  it  was  thought  best  that 
the  company  should  divide.  So  Frank  and  Jesse 
went  their  way  from  the  bottoms  of  the  Blue  Earth 
river,  and  the  three  Youngers  and  Clell  Miller  took 
another  route. 

We  will  follow  now  for  a  little  the  course  of  the 
weary,  wounded,  dispirited  four!  They  had  passed 
through  the  county  of  Blue  Earth  and  were  taking 
a  westerly  course  into  Watonwan  County.  They 
had  traveled  in  and  out  a  hundred  and  twenty-five 
miles  since  they  had  left  ISTorthfield,  though  they 
were  but  seventy-five  miles  away  in  a  strait  line. 
Their  foes  were  fast  closing  round  them.  Their 
doom  was  sealed.  They  had  lived  on  such  vegetables 
as  the  field  provided.  They  dared  not  light  a  fire  if 
even  they  had  the  materials.  They  were  ragged  and 
torn  and  wounded  and  friendless.  Tliey  had  made 
war  upon  society  for  many  long  years  and  now  the 
terrible  time  had  come.  The  Nemesis  was  at  hand! 
Sheriff  McDonald  tracked  them  to  a  dismal  swamp 


The  Minnesota  Tragedy  Continued,  235 

noar  Madelin  and  now  the  poor  bandits  were  fairly 
trapTiedl  Hundreds  against  four  !  What  could  they 
do?*  But  they  fought  to  the  last!  A  heavy  ball  came 
crasliing  through  Jim  Younger's  jaw,  the  wail  that 
broke  from  him  was  terrible,  but  not  half  as  horrible 
as  the  av^^f  ul  sigiit  he  presented  with  the  lower  part 
of  a  sad  face  shot  away.  Still  they  foug-ht  on.  Once 
again  a  terrible  ciy  Avas  heard  above  the  reports  of 
gun  and  pistol,  and  Clell  Miller  flung  up  his  hands 
and  cried. 

"  Oh!  my  God  boy's  I'm  done!    But  don't  give  in!" 

And  with  that,  the  dying  bandit  fell  against  a  tree 
groaned  once  or  twice  and  died! 

Closer  and  closer  the  terrible  network  drew  around 
the  three  struggling  brothers.  Worn  and  spent  with 
travel  and  hunger  and  fatigue;  and  now  riddled 
through  and  through  with  shots  they  fought  while 
they  could  stand,  and  revealed  that  whatever  faults 
they  had,  they  had  at  least  the  courage  and  endur- 
ance that  in  a  better  cause  would  have  made  the 
world  proud  of  their  names.  What  might  have  been 
fame  was  now  infamy! 

The  three  boys  were  captured  and  were  taken  to 
Madelia,  and  there  after  months  of  suffering  they 
were  arraingned  for  trial  at  tlie  Rice  County  court 
at  Faribault.  They  were  charged  with  murder.  But 
under  the  counsel  of  their  legal  advisers  they  were 
persuaded  t.o  plead  guilty  as  the  only  means  of  spar- 
ing their  necks.  They  were  sentenced  to  be  confined 
in  the  State  Penetentiary  for  the  term  of  their  natural 
lives.     The  iron   gates  of  the  grim  prison  of   Still- 


236         The  Life  of  Frank  and  Jesse  James. 

water  swung  back  upon  them  in  the  brightness  of  an 
October  morning!  They  are  there  still.  Wiser  and 
perhaps  on  the  Avhole  happier  men  than  they  were 
in  their  wild  lawless  days!     Who  can  tell? 

But  what  of  the  heroes  of  these  pages?  How  were 
Frank  and  Jesse  faring?  After  leaving  the  Youngers 
in  the  Blue  Earth  River  bottoms  they  went  into  a 
perfect  wilderness  and  were  so  completely  surround- 
ed by  their  pursuers  that  their  escape  seems  to  have 
been  half  miraculous.  It  is  true  they  had  had  long 
years  of  experience  in  this  direction.  They  had  ten 
days  of  such  horrible  trial  that  one  would  think  that 
once  delivered  from  these  perils,  they  would  never 
have  cared  to  venture  in  these  ways  again.  They 
would  hide  behind  a  tree  and  hear  three  or  four 
citizens  pass  within  a  yard  of  where  they  stood  talk- 
ing and  declaring  that  they  saw  them  only  a  moment 
ago.  They  lived  on  green  corn  and  new  potatoes. 
They  could  not  make  a  fire,  and  they  dare  not  if  they 
could.  They  forded  streams  and  swam  rivers.  They 
often  managed  by  these  means  to  cover  up  their 
tracks.  At  last  they  got  out  into  the  open  country, 
they  then  ventured  to  buy  a  couple  of  horses,  and 
they  got  a  hearty  meal  at  a  poor  woman's  house 
whose  husband  had  gone  to  hunt  these  dreadful 
murderers!  They  now  lost  no  time  but  rode  all  niglit 
and  began  to  hope  that  all  danger  Avas  passed. 
But  in  this  they  were  mistaken !  On  the  border  of 
Iowa  they  were  met  by  seven  armed  but  poorl\' 
mounted  men.  There  was  a  most  severe  contest, 
and  Frank  received   an  ugly   wound,  but  their  old 


Tlie  Minnesota  Trcu/edy  Continued.  237 

time  skill  on  horseback  came  back  to  them,  three  of 
the  seven  were  wounded,  two  were  killed,  and  the 
brothers  escaped.  After  this  fierce  and  prolonged 
contest  James  and  Jesse  found  themselves  once 
again  safe  and  sound  in  their  old  retreat  in  Jacksou 
County. 

But  the  robber-band  was  broken.  The  Youngers 
no  more  could  carry  on  this  strange  war  against 
society,  and  three  of  the  ring  leaders  were  dead. 
Northfield  has  never  forgotten  that  terrible  raid. 
The  cashier  Mr.  Haywood  had  the  largest  funeral 
Northfield  ever  saw.  The  banks  of  the  whole  region 
contributed  to  a  most  handsome  annuity  for  his 
heart-broken  widow.  The  two  wretches  who  were 
shot  by  Dr.  Wheeler  were  laid  in  the  jail  and  after- 
wards buried  in  a  felon's  grave.  Prior  to  their  burial 
hundreds  out  of  a  mere  morbid  curiosity  came  to  see 
their  dead  bodies.  And  on  the  evening  before  they 
were  interred  a  veiled  woman  pretending  to  be  a  re- 
lative of  Bill  Chadwell's  brought  wreaths  of  flowers 
and  laid  them  on  the  dead.  Captain  Coleman  Macy 
— than  whom,  a  tenderer  hearted  gentleman  did  not 
live  in  Minnesota — was  directing  affairs  at  Governor 
Pillsbury's  instructions,  and  when  he  saw  these  floral 
offerings  on  the  cold  breasts  of  the  murderers,  he  be- 
came very  greatly  incensed,  and  said  with  mingled 
pain  and  anger  in  his  eyes; — 

*'  I  know  how  to  reverance  death,  and  I  know  the 
proper  ministry  of  flowers,  but  it  a  gross  desecretiou 
to  cover  these  hardened  breasts  with  floral  wreaths," 
and  with  that  C^^pWn  Macy  tore  the  wr-eaths  froiw, 


238        The  Life  of  Frank  and  Jesse  James. 

the  shameless  dead  and  trampled  them  beneath  his 
feet. 

Years  have  passed  away,  but  the  Northfieldians 
love  to  tell  how  the  bloodthirsty  James  and  Younger 
gang  were  defeated,  and  the  death  of  Mr.  Haywood 
was  avenged. 


CHAPTER  XXXIII, 

THE  JAMES  BOYS  AMONG  THE  MEXICANS. 

•THE     FANDANGO    AT    MATAMORAS— FRANK   AND    JESSE 
POOR    DANCERS — INTO  THE  RIO   GRANDE — STIRRING 
TIMES   NEAR  CARMEN — THE  NOONTIDE  REST  AT 
THE  FOUNTAIN — THE   BOLD   AND   SUCCESS- 
FUL  RAID. 

The  fame  and  notoriety  of  the  James  boys  was  not 
confined  to  the  Western  States.  Not  only  were 
their  names  signs  of  terror  to  Missourians  and  Ken- 
tuckians,  and  along  the  borders  of  Kansas  and 
up  the  Indian  Territory.  But  Mexican  mothers 
frighten  their  childen  by  the  very  mention  of  Frank 
and  Jesse  James  !  As  far  back  as  May,  18()0,  and 
just  after  the  Gallatin  Bank  robbery,  Frank  and 
Jesse  James  m_ade  their  way  into  Texas,  and  one 
day  they  rode  well  mounted  into  Matamoras.  It 
was  a  gay  season.  What  season  is  not  gay  to  the 
light  hearts  of  Mexicans?  A  fandango,  a  sort  of  ball 
on  a  small  scale,  was  announced,  and  Frank  and 
Jesse,  nothing  loth,  resolved  to  see  what  was  to  be 
seen  and  have  their  share  of  the  fun.  The  night 
came,  and  the  hall  was  well  filled  with  olive-eyed 

(239) 


240        The  Life  of  Frank  and  Jesse  James. 

swarthy    senoritas     and     gay    looking     hidalgocs. 
The  band  struck  up  and  the  fair  Mexican  damsels 
began  to 

*'Trip  the  light  fantastic  toe," 

their  graceful  movements  soon  stirred  the  pulses  of 
the  robber  brothers.  They  joined  the  festive  dance. 
They  were  not  celebrated  as  graceful  dancers.  And 
the  intricate  gyrations  of  the  mazy  Spanish  dance 
was  quite  too  much  for  them.  No  doubt  they  were 
clumsy.  And  their  awkwardness  would  be  all  the 
more  manifest  when  contrasted  by  the  exquisite 
grace  of  every  movement  of  their  partners.  The 
on-lookers  were  first  amused,  and  then  broke  out  in 
open  ridicule,  and  laughed  at  Frank  and  Jesse  and 
began  to  mimic  with  exaggerated  contortions,  the 
awkward  dancing  of  the  brothers. 

Now,  the  boys  could  stand  a  good  deal,  but  you 
were  not  to  laugh  at  them.  They  were  not  very  fas- 
tidious or  exacting  in  their  demands,  but  they  would 
not  stand  being  laughed  at!  So,  quick  as  thought, 
down  went  one  of  the  boldest,  beneath  the  strong 
hand  of  Frank;  in  a  moment  a  strongly-built  Mexi- 
can struck  Frank  a  blow  on  the  cheek,  which  sent 
him  spinning  headlong  into  the  ample  laps  of  two 
Mexican  maidens,  much  to  their  astonishment  and 
disgust.  This  was  no  time  to  waver,  so  Jesse  im- 
proved the  moment  by  sending  a  bullet  a  journey 
through  the  brain  of  the  Mexican  who  had  struck 
his  brother  Frank.  This  stirred  the  Spanish  blood, 
and  what  lovers,  of  the  sanguinary  would  say,  the 
fun  began  and  the  fighting  was  beautiful.     Frank 


The  James  Boys  Among  the  Mexicans.      241 

and  Jesse  made  for  the  door,  but  their  way  was 
blocked  by  the  furious  and  vengeful  hidalgoes. 
Stilettos  gleamed  and  glittered.  Frank  and  Jesse 
both  were  struck  and  stabbed.  But  stilettos  are 
poor  where  revolvors  come.  These  Mexicans  kept 
the  doorway  for  a  time,  but  after  the  boys  had  used 
their  pistols  a  few  times,  four  Mexicans  lay  dead  on 
the  threshold,  and  six  others  were  dreadfully 
wounded. 

The  Mexicans  had  blockaded  that  door,  but  the 
boys  of  Missouri  raised  that  blockade!  Just  at  tho' 
passage  from  the  hall  a  vengeful  Spaniard  was 
aiming  a  deadly  blow  at  Frank's  heart,  but  Jesse 
intervened  and  lodged  a  bullet  in  the  would-be-mur- 
derer's heart.  He  fell  and  struck  the  dagger  in  the 
floor  as  he  fell.  Escaping  the  room  they  made  for 
their  horses.  Jesse  ran  first,  but  Frank  was  pur- 
sued by  three  of  these  hidalgoes;  Frank  had 
seized  a  bludgeon  on  his  way,  and  now  turning  at 
bay  faced  his  followers,  and  with  almost  Herculean 
strength  he  laid  the  three  Mexicans  stunned  and 
motionless  at  his  feet.  The  boys  got  on  their  horses 
and  rode  away.  But  they  were  pursued,  and  there 
was  nothing  for  it  but  to  make  a  bold  plunge  for  the 
Rio  Grande,  which  they  did  and  swam  safely  to  the 
further  shore. 

They  had  paid  a  dollar  at  eight  o'clock  for  a  night's 
fun  at  the  fandango.  Jesse  said,  his  face  rippling 
with  humor,  spite  of  the  pain  of  several  stiletto 
wounds : 

''Well,  Frank,  old  boy,  guess  we  got  our  dollar'a 


242        The  Lifejof  Frank  and  Jesse  James, 

worth  of  exciting    amusement  out  of  that  gang?^ 

*'You  bet  I"  was  Frank's  laconic  reply.  The  boys 
had  to  go  into  quarantine  at  a  little  town  called 
Concapcion,  here  they  remained  under  surgical  care 
for  three  months,  so  perverse  were  the  wounds 
they  had  received  in  the  fandango  at  Matamoras, 
on  the  banks  of  the  Rio  Grande. 

But  years  have  passed  by  since  the  night  plunge 
into  the  Rio  Grande — years  of  strange  and  weird 
adventure — many  a  successful  raid,  and  many  a 
hair  breadth  escape— The  exploits  of  "N"orthfield 
and  that  terrible  hunt  that  followed  are  just  passed 
— of  the  eight  who  went  into  Minnesota  on  that 
fair  September  day,  three  have  fired  their  last  shots 
and  are  lying  all  untimely  in  a  dishonored  grave, 
and  three  are  hidden  away  in  the  living  grave  of 
Stillwater's  gloomy  jail;  and  Fr^nk  and  Jesse  have 
escaped  alone  to  tell  the  tale. 

And  now,  in  1877,  the  dauntless  pair  are  quietly 
living  at  the  little  village  of  Carmen,  in  the  North- 
ern part  of  the  State  of  Chlhuah-ua,  Mexico.  What 
purpose  had  they  in  settlij^g  down  in  this  out  of  the 
way  place,  which  seemxcd  to  be  on  the  extreme  edge 
of  the  borders  of  civiUzation?  Let  us  be  patient 
and  we  shall  see. 

This  same  quiet  Carmen  was  on  the  highway  of 
travel,  and  Mexican  merchants  and  traders  with 
their  costly  wares  passed  to  and  fro  inthedr  journey- 
ings.  Frank  and  Jesse  had  matured  their  plans  and 
providence  sermed  to  favor  them,  as  it  generally 
did.     They  have  hitherto  been  remarkable  examples 


ihe  James  Boys  Among  the  Mexicans.       243 
of  the  dictum  given  by  the  immortal  Shakespeare: 

"There's  a  divinity  that  shajDes  our  ends, 
Rough  hew  them  as  we  may." 

One  fair  May  morning,  six  pack  mules,  each 
guided  by  a  separate  muleteer,  and  each  mule  bear- 
mg  the  glittering  burden  of  150  pounds  of  solid 
silver  on  his  back,  moved  out  of  the  city  of  Chihua- 
hua. Beside  these  there  were  twelve  men  as  a 
guard.  In  all,  eighteen  men  to  guard  the  precious 
treasure.  All  went  well  till  they  reached  Carmen, 
and  then  two  simple-minded,  guileless-looking  young 
Americans  entered  into  general  conversation  with 
the  guards,  and  by  the  Socratic  method  of  gentle 
enquiry  possessed  themselves  of  the  knowledge 
necessary  to  help  them  in  due  time  to  possess  the 
silver.  No  Scotchman  ever  felt  more  attached  to 
his  "siller"  than  did  these  American  young  gentle- 
men at  Carmen.  Then  our  boys — for  of  course  the 
reader  understands  that  these  quiet  young  men 
were  Frank  and  Jesse  James — assumed  to  make 
confidantes  of  these  Mexican  guards.  They  wanted 
to  get  back  to  the  United  States,  but  they  had  heard 
so  much  of  the  peril  of  the  way  that  they  were  quite 
timid  at  taking  the  journey.  What  with  Indians 
and  guerrillas  they  were  quite  afraid  to  venture. 
i*'rank  and  Jesse  had  three  other  friends  who  were 
really  in  the  same  box  with  themselves.  The  chief 
of  the  guard  was  interviewed  with  a  request  that  he 
\70uld  allow  these  young  men  who  had  been  in- 
epecting  mines,  to  go  under  their  escort  for  safety 
just  across  the  perilous  border,  of  course  agreeing 


2U         The  Lift  of  Frank  and  Jesse  James. 

that  if  danger  came  they  would  fight  in  tlie  interests 
of  the  guards  and  their  treasure. 

The  chief  consented,  and  so  there  started  out  next 
day  from  Carmen  the  procession  of  mules  and  their 
treasures  and  guards,  and  these  five  pious  looking 
young  gentlemen— goody-goody-looking  enough  to 
teach  in  Sunday  school  or  exhort  at  a  mission.  And 
yet  Mexico  had  not  five  such  desperadoes  from  the 
North  Fork  to  the  most  southerly  sweep  of  the  Rio 
Grande! 

For  two  or  three  days  they  were  watched,  but 
soon  all  suspicion  gave  way  to  confidence.  It  w^as 
noon  about  the  fifth  day  out,  the  cavalcade  halted 
near  a  most  refreshing  fountain.  The  burdens  were 
taken  from  the  mules  that  they  might  graze  at  lei- 
sure in  the  valley.  The  muleteers  and  guards,  all 
save  two — who  were  reserved  to  stand  sentinel  over 
the  bags  of  silver— were  enjoying  their  noonday 
siesta.  The  ingenious  five  were  under  a  tree  apart, 
holding  quiet  converse.  The  whole  guns  of  the 
party  were  stacked  against  a  tree.  The  two  guards 
on  duty  over  the  silver  pouches  were  holding  their 
guns  in  the  most  formal  and  careless  manner  over 
their  shoulders. 

The  opportune  moment  had  come! 

"  Let's  go,  boys!'-  was  the  brief  signal  from  Jesse, 
accompanied  by  his  low,  shrill  whistle. 

Crack!  went  a  couple  of  pistols,  and  the  two  armed 
guards  sank  quivering  to  the  earth,  shot  dead!  The 
arms  stacked  against  the  tree  were  destroyed  in  less 
time  than  it  takes  to  tell.     The  other  guards  were 


The  James  Boys  Among  ihe  Mexicans.       245 

ordered  to  hold  up  their  arms,  and  were  at  once  dis- 
armed. They  then  ordered  the  muleteers  to  put  the 
bags  of  silver  on  the  best  mules.  All  the  rest  of  the 
horses  were  shot.  Then  Frank  and  Jesse  and  their 
confreres  rode  off  with  their  stolen  treasure,  threat- 
ening instant  death  to  any  one  who  dared  to  follow. 
The  robbers  bore  their  treasure  into  Tex:as,  divided 
the  spoils,  and  congratulated  each  other  on  the 
success  of  their  enterprise. 

Nine  hundred  pounds  of  silver!  to  be  divided 
amongst  five  robbers  I  Not  an  ounce  of  the  silver 
was  ever  traced  to  the  robbers,  nor  were  one  of  them 
ever  brought  to  justice.  The  Mexican  merchants 
would  henceforth  be  most  careful  how  they  under- 
took the  guardianship  of  innocent  looking  young 
American  gentlemen. 


OHAPTEE  XXXIV. 

MORE  MEXICAN  ADVENTURES. 


WOUNDING  AND  KILLING — BRIGANDS  IN  AMBUSH — 

MEETING    AN   OLD    FRIEND— A    FANDANGO    AT 

MONCLOVA — THE   FESTIVITIES   DISTURBED. 

There  is  a  spot  on  the  River  of  the  North  called 
Fiedras  Negras,  which  is  known  as  the  meeting 
place  of  all  sorts  of  strange  characters — brigands 
from  the  passes  of  the  Sierra  Madres;  thieves  from 
Matamoras;  cut-throats  from  Saltilio;  smugglers 
from  all  the  border-line.  And  now  to  this  appro- 
priate region  come  the  James  brothers  in  the  Spring 
of  1877.  They  both  of  them  anticipated  there  would 
be,  to  use  their  own  phrase,  ''plenty  of  fun,"  and  in 
this  supposition  they  were  not  destined  to  be  mis- 
taken.    They  soon  got  all  the  fun  they  wanted. 

Riding  leisurely  together  one  day  through  one  of 
the  villages  not  far  from  Piedras  Negras,  they  were 
observed  by  a  number  of  Mexican  raiders,  who 
probably  thought  there  was  the  chance  for  a  good 
haul,  and  accordingly  the  enterprising  Mexicans 

iU6) 


More  Afexican  Advent  ares,  347 

proposed  to  try  their  luck.  The  boys  quickened 
their  pace  after  they  left  the  village,  and  soon 
found  they  were  pursued  by  a  dozen  or  more  half 
drunken,  howling  Mexicans,  who  fired  off  pistols 
madly  and  wildly,  as  though  to  impress  the  young 
men  who  had  ridden  through  their  village  what 
kind  of  dare-devils  they  had  to  deal  with.  To  the 
utter  dismay  of  this  roystering  troop,  our  boys,  in- 
stead of  flying  in  hot  haste  before  them,  deliberately 
turned  round  and  faced  their  pursuers,  and  in  a 
brief  space  four  of  the  foremost  of  the  rabble  squad 
lay  sprawling  on  the  ground,  with  their  right  arms 
broken  from  the  bullets  of  Frank  and  Jesse's  pistols. 
They  at  once  retreated  to  the  village  in  hot  haste, 
and  Frank  and  Jesse,  as  if  mad  for  mischief  and 
heedless  of  peril,  returned  also.  A  regular  fusilade 
ensued.  Bullets  rained  upon  them  to  their  heart's 
content;  they  left  two  greasers  dead  upon  the  plaza 
as  relics  of  their  visit,  and  then  passed  on.  That 
night,  as  they  crossed  a  stream  swollen  by  the  rains 
of  Spring,  they  were  surprised  by  ten  brigands  in 
ambush  on  the  opposite  side  of  the  bank.  Fire  wa& 
opened,  and  Jesse  received  a  small  wound  in  the 
left  shoulder.  This  incited  their  anger,  and  the 
brothers  charged  into  their  hiding-place,  and  every- 
one fled,  save  one  who  lay  stark  and  dead  that 
night,  a  victim  to  his  own  folly  and  the  sure  aim  of 
Frank  James. 

In  the  course  of  their  wanderings  they  came  to 
Monclova,  a  large  town  in  Coahuila;  and  here,  to 
their  surprise,  they  met  one  of  their  old  companions 


248        The  Life  of  Frank  and  Jesse  James. 

of  the  guerrilla  days.  He  had  turned  after  Quan- 
trelFs  death  to  peaceful  pursuits,  and  having  become 
enamored  of  the  bright  piercing  eyes  of  a  Mexican 
girl,  he  had  married  and  settled  down  to  a  quiet, 
happy  life.  But  the  sight  of  the  James  boys,  and 
the  sound  of  their  voices,  woke  up  a  thousand  pleas- 
ant memories.  They  talked  of  the  old  times,  and 
sang  the  old  songs,  and  fought  the  old  battles  over 
again,  till  the  Mexican  bride  was  alarmed  to  think 
how  desperate  a  man  she  had  married. 

Now,  it  seems  the  one  essential  proof  of  Mexican 
kindness  is  to  honor  your  friend  who  visits  you  with 
a  fandango.  Frank  and  Jesse  nothing  loth,  on  the 
promise  that  the  grace  and  beauty  of  Monclova 
should  adorn  the  scene,  accepted  the  honor.  The 
night  came,  and  with  the  night  the  fandango.  All 
was  bright  and  gay  and  festive.  Music  discoursed 
its  sweetest  strains, 

"And  bright  the  lamps  shone 
O'er  fair  women  and  brave  men." 

The  honored  guests  were  summering  in  beauty's 
smiles,  the  host  was  charmed  that  all  went  so  well, 
and  the  gentle  hostess  beamed  and  smiled  compla- 
cently around.  Indeed  you  might  have  thought  you 
were  on  Fifth  avenue.  New  York,  or  in  some  pala- 
tial mansion  in  Chicago  rather  than  away  on  the 
Mexican  border.  All  went  well  for  a  time,  till  the 
quick  eye  of  Jesse  thought  he  discovered  a  furtive 
glance  in  the  eyes  of  two  of  the  guests.  A  young 
lieutenant  of  the  Mexican  army  and  an  American 
gentlemen  from  Matehuala  were  among  the  guests. 


More  JSlexican  Aihunilnvps.  249 

They  were  conversing  in  low  tones  and  looked,  as 
Jesse  thought,  strangely  at  Frank  and  himself. 
Frank  was  making  love  to  a  fair  senorita,  when 
Jesse  called  his  attention  to  these  signs  of  mischief. 
But  Frank  thought  Jesse  was  making  the  best  use 
of  his  imagination.  Jesse  began  to  think  he  had 
seen  both  these  men  before,  and  when  after  a  little 
while  this  mysterious  pair  departed,  he  became  more 
and  more  convinced  that"  danger  was  brewing.  And 
forewarned  forearmed  he  advised  Frank  to  be  on 
the  alert.  He  was  not  mistaken,  these  gentlemen 
both  knew  Frank  and  Jesse.  Both  men  owed  the 
boys  a  grudge,  for  one  had  lost  a  brother  at  their 
hands  in  1805,  and  the  other  a  friend  not  more 
than  a  year  ago.  Again,  there  was  still  an  offer  of 
fifty  thousand  dollars  for  their  lieads  from  the 
American  auhorities.  Captain  Macy  still  held  Gov- 
ernor Pillsbury's  offer  good  of  one  thousand  dollars 
each  for  the  capture  of  the  bandits.  There  was 
money  to  be  made,  and  fame  and  honor.  So  the 
authorities  were  at  once  addressed  and  in  the  dead 
of  the  night  a  muster  was  ordered  and  a  detach- 
ment of  some  eighty  was  at  once  brought  to  the  fan- 
dango. The  place  was  thoroughly  surrounded. 
When  the  festivities  were  at  their  gayest  the  doors 
were  unceremoniously  thrown  open  and  a  stately 
officer  strode  into  the  room,  followed  by  a  military 
guard. 

A  scene  of  indescribable  confusion  ensued.  The 
men  were  astounded,  the  ladies  were  panic-stricken. 
The  only  calm  people  at  the  fandango  were  the  two 


250        TJie  Life  of  Frank  and  Jesse  James, 

most  concerned.  The  dancing  ceased  and  the  as- 
tonished musicians  gazed  on  in  utter  amaze. 

"  Vat  ish  all  dot,  anyhow?"  asked  a  musical  Ger- 
man who  hugged  his  violin  as  though  it  were  his 
only  child.     Perhaps  it  was. 

The  officer  marched  up  to  Frank  and  Jesse  and  in 
the  name  of  the  Mexican  Government,  demanded 
their  surrender.  The  brothers  laughed  derisively  in 
the  faces  of  the  officers. 

"  Will  you  surrender  peacefully?"  he  asked. 

^*  Never!"  was  Frank's  calm  reply. 

With  that  the  officer  motioned  to  his  guards  to 
move  up. 

*^Stop!"  It  was  Jesse's  voice  of  command.  The 
officer  waved  the  guards  to  halt. 

*^  We  have  a  proposition  to  submit.  Will  you  hear 
it?" 

"  If  it  means  surrender,  yes,"  replied  the  officer. 

''  It  is  this:"  pursued  Jesse,  not  appearing  to  no- 
tice the  purport  of  the  officer's  reply,  "allow  these 
ladies  here  to  retire,  and  we  will  discuss  the  question 
with  you." 

"  I  shall  be  compelled  to  take  you  by  force,"  said 
the  officer. 

*•  Let  the  ladies  retire,  I  say!"  exclaimed  Jesse 
James  in  a  tone  that  betrayed  his  impatience. 

The  officer  intimated  that  opposition  was  really 
useless.  The  house  was  surrounded.  Yet  he  mor- 
tally hated  to  begin  an  affra}'  in  the  presence  of  the 
ladies  who  were  excited  enough  already.  And  prob- 
ably if  matters  had  gone  to  immediate  issue  would 


More  Mexican  Adventures.  251 

have  flung  themselves  a  fair  bulwark  of  defense  be- 
fore the  young  American  gentlemen,  who  had  been 
so,  '"awfully  nice"  all  the  evening,  and  who  were  now 
being  so  shamefully  ill-used. 

*'  Let  the  ladies  retire!"  repeated  Jesse,  as  though 
he  were  commanding  officer. 

The  ball-room  was  soon  cleared  of  the  fair  ones. 

*'Now,"  said  the  officer,  "lay  down  your  pistols. 
I  have  an  ample  guard  to  enforce  these  orders.  The 
house  is  surrounded;  you  cannot  get  away." 

Before  the  sentence  was  well  out  of  his  mouth  the 
officer  lay  dead  at  Jesse's  feet,  with  a  bullet  lodged 
in  his  proud  heart. 

Quick  as  thought  the  guard  started  forward  un- 
able to  realize  that  their  leader  was  dead. 

One,  two,  three!  Sharp,  short,  and  quick.  A  deaf- 
ening report,  three  wiffs  of  smoke  and  three  soldiers 
lying  in  pools  of  blood  that  flow  from  the  fountains 
of  their  own  hearts. 

It  was  an  aw-f ul  sight !  Were  these  men  demons 
instead  of  men?  All  the  evening  they  had  been  po- 
lite and  gentle  and  bland.  And  now  in  two  min- 
utes four  men  lay  dead  at  their  feet,  and  they  looked 
as  if  every  man  who  thwarted  them  must  suffer  a 
like  fate. 

The  guard  became  demoralized  and  fled.  The 
boys  now  rushed  for  the  street,  the  soldiers  guard- 
ing the  house  fired,  but  they  fired  aimlessly  in  their 
wild  confusion.  And  Frank  and  Jesse  only  received 
a  few  scratches. 

In  a  little  while  the  whole  town  was  mad  with 


253        Ihe  Life  of  Frank  and  Jesse  James, 

excitement,  and  the  wildest  stories  got  abroad.  All 
the  ladies  at  the  fandango  had  been  remorselessly 
butchered  by  hireling  murderers,  the  soldiers  were 
all  shot,  and  the  work  of  massacre  was  going  on. 
The  wild  stories  grew  and  grew.  The  streets  soon 
surged  with  a  most  excited  crowd.  The  fire  bells 
rung,  the  alarm  drums  beat  at  the  barracks,  the 
whole  of  the  soldiery  formed  in  line  and  marched 
to  the  scene  of  the  disaster.  Men,  women,  and  chil- 
dren made  the  night  hideous  with  their  screams. 
The  darkness  was  dense  and  favored  the  fugitives. 
Frank  and  Jesse  reached  their  horses  and  while 
Monclova  was  hunting  them  about  the  region  of  the 
place  of  blood,  they  were 

' '  Over  the  hills  and  far  away  ! " 

And  for  some  time,  Frank  and  Jesse  kept  their 
abode  in  the  mountains,  and  it  was  not  till  all  was 
over  and  almost  forgotten  that  they  ventured  to  turn 
their  faces  from  the  scene  of  blood.  Not  that  for 
one  moment  they  held  themselves  culpable  of  any 
wrong.  It  was  defensive  warfare,  and  all  is  fair  in 
love  and  \>  ar. 

And,  indeed,  not  a  few  felt  some  sort  of  sympathy 
with  the  robber  boys.  They  felt  sorry  for  the  death 
of  the  soldiers,  and  concerning  the  chief  officer,  who 
was  foremost  in  his  desire  for  the  arrest,  they  felt 
much  as  Hamlet  felt  concerning  old  Polonius — 

"  Thou  find'st  to  be  too  busy  is  some  danger." 

The  fair  senoritas  of  Monclova  were  most  enthusi- 
astic in  denunciation  of  the  military* 


More  Mexican  Adventures.  253 

*' Gentlemen  and  soldiers  indeed!  A  little  more  of 
the  gentleman  would'nt  have  harmed  them!  They 
ought  to  have  known  a  little  better  than  accept  the 
hospitality  of  a  gentleman  and  then  turn  his  fand- 
ango into  an  opportunity  of  miserable  arrest.  And 
as  for  courage!  Well,  the  two  young  American 
gentlemen — and  theij  were  gentlemen — had  provec 
themselves  as  courageous  as  your  soldiers  were 
though  they  did  not  wear  soldier's  clothes." 

And  so  the  fair  ones  babbled  on.  ^'Tbey  were 
Just  delighted,  that  the  poor  boys  had  escaped,  so 
they  were." 

And  so  Frank  and  Jesse  dug  four  grave?  in  Mon- 
clova.  Though  it  must  be  admitted  thej  -did  not 
invite  the  fray. 


CHAPTEB  XXXY. 

STILL  IN  MEXICO. 

BORDER  CATTLE  THIEVES — FRANK  AND  JESSE  RAID  lb  A- 
LACIO'S   BAND— A    DESPERATE    FIGHT    FOR 
LIFE — ''I'VE  GIVEN  THE  VUL- 
TURES WORK  FOR 
TO-NIGHT." 

Juan  Fernando  Palacio  had  won  the  fame  of  being 
the  most  blood-thirsty  and  relentless,  of  all  that  vile 
robber  brood  that  infested  the  Piedras  Negras,  Eagle 
pass  and  Meir,  on  the  upper  Rio  Grande.  The  James 
brothers  were  now  to  test  their  prowess  alongside 
this  notorious  free-booter  and  his  bloody-minded 
followers.  He  was  the  captain  and  guide  of  thirty 
daring  unscrupulous  men.  The  valley  of  the  Pecos, 
where  Frank  and  Jesse  were  now  residing,  was  rich 
in  flocks  and  herds,  and  it  was  the  sole  ambition  of 
Palacio  to  sweep  these  herds  from  the  peaceful  vale 
and  utterly  discomfit  the  '"  cow  boys  "  as  he  and  his 
followers  disdainfully  called  the  dwellers  in  the 
Pecos. 

The  time  for  the  stampede  was  fixed  and  assisted 
by  a  murderer,  who  rejoiced  in  the  name  Jesus  Al- 

(254) 


still  in  Mexico,  255 

monte,  an  outlaw  from  all  civilized  society;  Palacio 
proposed  to  carry  away  all  the  cattle,  and  if  the  cow- 
boys on  the  various  ranches  objected — well,  cold  lead 
and  a  short  shrift.  And  the  cold  lead  first.  The 
stampede  was  complete.  Three  of  the  "cow  boys" 
were  killed  but  the  herds  were  marched  to  the  banks 
of  the  Rio  Grande.  Two  days  afterwards  Frank  and 
Jesse  heard  of  this  from  one  of  the  sorely  distressed 
herdsmen.  It  so  happened  that  Frank  and  Jesse  had 
possessions  in  the  valley  and  their  flocks  had  been 
carried  off  by  the  murdering  Mexicans.  And  of 
all  men  they  were  not  the  men  to  sit  down  and  be 
robbed  in  silence.  Their  plans  were  soon  formed. 
Prompt  action  was  needed  now.  It  was  in  October. 
Frank  and  Jesse  soon  got  on  Palacio's  trail.  They 
came  to  El  Paso,  all  was  silent  though  the  robbers 
had  driven  through  the  village.  Palacio  and 
Almonte  came  to  camp  in  the  mountains.  They  felt 
themselves  quite  secure  and  so  fell  asleep  in  fancied 
safety.  But  they  had  but  little  sleeping  time.  They 
were  suddenly  aroused  by  reports  from  the  avenging 
pistols  of  the  James  boys.  Shot  after  shot  was  fired 
dealing  death  at  every  discharge.  Roused  from  the 
midst  of  a  fitful  sleep  the  robbers  wftre  dazed  and 
bewildered  and  thought  they  were  surrounded  by  a 
huge  company  of  avengers,  and  so  they  fled  as  fast 
as  their  weary  legs  could  carry  them,  giving  them- 
selves no  time,  for  they  were  in  no  mood  to  examine 
the  state  of  things.  Ten  of  these  robbers  lay  dead, 
and  the  rest  terror-striken  had  hurried  away  in  wild 
confusion  to  the  shelter  of  the  hills.     The  leaders 


256         The  Life  of  Frank  and  Jesse  James. 

Palacio  and  Almonte  were  not  with  the  camp  when 
Frank  and  Jesse  made  their  murderous  onslaught. 
When  the  tidings  reached  them  they  of  course  im- 
agined what  the  rest  of  the  thirty  thought, that  there 
must  be  a  company  of  avengers;  or  "Grino  Diablas" 
as  they  called  them,  from  the  Pecos  Yale.  When  they 
came  to  understand  that  this  successful  raid  had  been 
carried  on  by  two  men  only,  they  were  furious;  and 
swore  by  all  their  gods  to  be  avenged.  The  whole 
troop  of  the  twenty-five  were  on  the  trail  of  the 
brothers  to  re-capture  the  cattle  and  strike  death  to 
the  hearts  of  the  graceless  two  who  had  wrought 
them  such  humiliation,  and  dessimated  their  band. 

At  last  they  came  in  sight  of  the  great  crowding 
herds  of  cattle  and  there  were  only  these  two  men  to 
deal  with.  Who  would  now  give  a  pin's  worth  for 
the  chances  of  either  of  the  boys?  And  yet  we  have 
seen  how  again  and  again  when  their  peril  was  the 
direst,  they  were  the  calmest.  And  so  often  have 
they  rode  straight  up  to  the  very  jaws  of  death  and 
return  scaithless,  that  the}^  at  least  must  not  be 
buri^  even  in  our  thought  till  they  are  quite  dead. 
The  boys  had  one  advantage,  they  carried  with  them 
long  range  sixteen  shot  Winchester  rifles.  Five  of 
the  Mexicans,  dead  shots  all  of  them,  were  detailed 
to  finish  these  ''impudent  American  devils!" 

The  boys  had  fastened  themselves  to  their  saddles, 
held  tiieir  reins  between  their  teeth,  and  dashed  out 
to  meet  the  furious  fire.  Their  long  range  rifles 
saved  them,  each  picked  his  man  and  in  a  moment 
t^ —  -•  -iriioy  were  empty  and  two  Mexicans  fell  dead. 


still  in  Mexico.  257 

The  astonished  three  turned  to  flee  away.  But  it 
was  too  late!  Two  more  fell  victims  to  the  long 
range,  and  only  one  was  left  to  go  back  and  tell  the 
story  of  their  defeat. 

So  far  they  had  been  remarkably  s\  ^.cessful.  But 
cin  imperfect  success  is  worse  sometimes  than  direct 
defeat.  There  must  be  twenty  of  that  band  not  far 
away,  and  Jesse  did  not  feel  that  the  shouting  time 
had  come,  they  were  still  in  the  wood.  So  he  quietly 
observed  to  Frank: 

^'I'U  ride  to  that  swell  over  on  the  left  to  see  what 
those  other  devils  are  doing." 

Arrived  on  the  crest  of  the  hill  he  saw  fifteen  of 
these  greasers  coming  up  the  hill.  They  were  four 
hundred  yards  away,  but  Jesse's  trusted  long  range 
Winchester  did  splendid  service.  One  after  another 
the  Mexicans  fell,  till  by  the  time  Frank  came  up, 
four  of  the  leaders  and  one  of  their  mustangs  lay 
dead,  and  the  rest  of  the  company  had  beat  a  retreat. 
As  Frank  reached  the  brow  of  the  hill,  Jesse  said:   .' 

^^  Well,  I've  prepared  a  feast  for  the  vultures  over 
yonder.'' 

''How  many  are  down.^"  asked  Frank. 

'*  Oh,  only  four  men  and  one  horse,"  he  answered, 
with  a  grim  sort  of  smile. 

And  the  rest  of  the  valiant  Mexican  host  were 
galloping  away  for  dear  life.  But  if  they  should 
return  for  a  night  attack!  There  was  the  true 
danger.  For  Mexicans  may  be  human  all  the  day, 
but  they  are  devils  at  night!  Frank  and  Jesse  were 
in  serious  council  when  their  attention  was  attracted 


258        The  Life  of  Frank  and  Jesse  James. 

tG  the  westward,  where    some    objects  were  seen. 

•'See/'  said  Frank,  ''  away  there  on  that  ridge 
whose  top  the  sun  is  gliding!  Are  those  moving  ob- 
jects men  on  horseback,  or  a  herd  of  buffaloes? 
What  do  you  think? " 

They  raised  their  glasses  and  looked  with  patient 
care. 

'"  They  are  mounted  men,"  said  Jesse. 

•'  Texans,  Mexicans,  Lipans  or  Commanches: 
Which  do  you  say?"  asked  Frank. 

Jesse  looked  awhile  —  the  cavalcade,  whatever  it 
was,  was  two  miles  away  —  at  last  he  broke  forth : 

"Soldiers,  and  Federal  soldiers  at  that!  — by 
Jehovah!  Frank,  my  boy,  I've  seen  the  time  when 
I  wouldn't  like  to  have  met  such  a  crowd!  But 
times  are  changed,  we  've  been  robbed,  shamefully 
robbed,  haven't  we  old  man?" 

It  did  not  take  a  minute's  consultation  to  deter- 
mine the  course  to  be  taken.  Jesse  rode  forward, 
'sure  that  this  was  a  troop  of  McKenzie's  soldiers  out 
in  search  of  Palacio's  band,  and  informed  the 
leader  of  the  troop,  of  the  scandalous  conduct  of  the 
greasers.  At  sight  of  this  the  remnant  of  the  band 
fled,  with  McKenzie's  soldiers  in  hot  pursuit. 

The  boys  were  left  in  undisputed  charge  of  the 
cattle,  which  they  drove  back  to  the  Pecos  Valley. 
Jesse  singing  as  he  went  along  — 
"Wide  is  our  home, boys, 
Freely  we  roam,  boys. 
Merrily,  merrily,  o'er  the  brown  lea; 
Brief  though  our  life,  boys, 
With  peril  rife,  boys. 
Oh!  it  has  wildness,  and  rapture  and  glee." 


still  in  Mexico,  25^ 

1*1  the  eyes  of  the  simple  people  of  Pecos  the  boys 
came  to  be  regarded  in  a  most  enviable  light.    They 
were  the  redressers  of  wrongs,  they  were  the  aven 
gers  ot  border  brigands.     And  so  the  whirligig  of 
time  brings  many  changes. 


CHAPTER  XXXYl 

ANOTHER  ROMANCE  OF  THE  PECOS  VALLEY. 

MEXICAN   ROBBERS — THE   FAIR  ALICE  GORDON — ON  THE 

OTHER  SIDE  OF  THE   RIO  GRANDE ! — THE    DEATH 

OF  BUSTENADO — ALICE  GORDON  RESCUED  I 

"  Panama's  maid  may  well  look  pale 
When  Risingham  inspires  the  tale, 
And  Chile's  matrons  long  shall  tame 
The  wayward  child  with  Bertram's  name.'* 

It  has  already  been  hinted  that  Frank  and  Jesse 
James  were  winning  quite  a  fair  reputation  in  the 
Pecos  valley.  They  were  enterprising  traders  and 
graizers  in  the  eyes  of  their  neighbors,  and  not  one 
of  them  would  have  dreamed  that  such  inoffensive 
young  men  could  ever  have  perpetrated  such  wild 
deeds  as  these  pages  record.  They  had  acquired 
considerable  property  in  the  Pecos  valley,  which 
was  well  kept  in  charge.  Their  frequent  and  pro- 
longed absence  from  home  created  not  the  smallest 
surprise.  It  was  common  enough  in  that  region 
where  life  was  as  restless  as  it  was  primitive,  for 
men  to  wander  widely  from  their  homes.  Above 
all  things,  their  fine  blood  horses  were  the  admira 
tion  of  the  whole  region. 


AnoHher  Romance  of  the  Pecos  Valley,       261 

On  one  occasion,  after  a  prolonged  absence,  Frank 
and  Jesse  found  on  their  return  home  that  a  brood 
oi  Mexican  cattle  robbers,  under  the  lead  of  the  in- 
famous Bustenado,  had  crossed  the  Rio  Grande  and 
made  a  night  raid  among  the  herdsmen.  The  raid 
had  been  swift  and  well  managed,  and  Bustenado 
and  his  tribe  were  fast  making  for  the  other  side  of 
the  river. 

A  special  element  in  this  raid,  that  made  it  doubly 
atrocious,  and  just  such  a  raid  as  the  James'  would 
feel  they  were  called  of  Heaven  to  avenge,  was  the 
fact  that  the  bold  robbers  had  carried  away  the  fair 
Alice  Gordon,  the  pride  and  beauty  of  the  vale. 

Gordon,  the  father  of  the  captured  girl,  was  a 
Scotchman  over  seventy  years  of  age,  who  had  been 
overwhelmed  by  misfortune  in  the  East,  had  becom<^ 
misanthropic,  and  who  had  sought  relief  from  his 
troubles  in  the  comparative  solitude  of  the  great 
plains  where  there  was  almost  no  society  and  where 
nature  alone  could  charm  him  to  something  of  con- 
tentment. His  daughter  Alice,  a  beautiful  young 
lady  of  many  accomplishments  and  of  strong  will, 
accompanied  him.  To  the  few  rude  men  who  some- 
times sought  the  hospitality  of  Gordon,  she  was  the 
embodiment  of  all  the  grace  and  beauty  their  imag- 
ination could  picture,  and  there  was  none  who 
would  not  ride  and  fight  in  her  behalf  without  an 
instant's  delay. 

There  was  one  and  only  one  redeeming  feature  in 
this  case.  The*  robbers  had  not  borne  her  captive 
alone,  for  they  had  taken  also  a  most  devoted  and 


2C)2        TJie  Life  of  Frank  and  Jesse  Jcmnes, 

attached  negro  servant,  Joe.  Joe  worshipped  the 
beautiful  Alice,  and  would  readily  have  died  for 
her.  Little  harm  would  come  to  Alice  while  Joe 
was  near  at  hand.  What  their  ultimate  purpose 
was  in  capturing  Alice  it  was  hard  to  tell.  She  was 
captured  and  borne  away  from  her  home.  That  was 
the  first  practical  fact.  The  next  was,  that  she  was 
to  be  rescued,  and  Frank  and  Jesse  leapt  to  that 
task  of  rescue,  as  gallantly  as  the  knights  of  old  en- 
tered the  lists  for  the  ladies  they  loved. 

On  the  morning  of  the  third  day's  march  Frank 
and  Jesse  came  upon  the  objects  of  their  search. 
They  determined  on  an  immediate  attack.  No  wait- 
ing for  the  night.  No  waiting  a  moment  longer 
than  to  take  in  the  whole  situation,  and  act  with 
caution  as  well  as  promptitude.  They  were  so  to 
act  as  not  to  endanger  the  life  of  Alice,  and  yet  to 
bring  swift  vengeance  to  the  mean  and  dastardly 
Bustenado. 

The  robbers  were  eating  breakfast  when  first  the 
boys  espied  them.  They  were  evidently  enjoying 
themselves,  laughing  merrily  over  their  exploits. 
The  cattle  were  slaking  their  thirst  at  a  neighbormg 
spring.  At  a  little  distance  from  the  rest  Alice 
Gordon,  wearied,  sad  and  heart-broken,  was  sit- 
ting apart,  her  faithful  attendant,  the  sable  Joe, 
vainly  imploring  her  to  eat.  The  company  of  the 
Mexicans  was  composed  of  thirty  well  practiced 
robbers.  The  James  boys  only  mustered  six  to  fol- 
low theii  lead,  but  what  had  they  not  done  with  as 
vsmall  a  number  in  the  years  that  were  gone?    The 


Another  Romance  of  the  Pecos  Valley.       263 

command  was  given  into  the  hands  of  Jesse.  The 
little  company  of  avengers  had  approached  within 
sight.  They  were  ready  with  their  reins  between 
their  teeth,  a  loaded  Colt's  revolver  in  each  hand. 
They  only  waited  the  word  of  command.  At  last  it 
came.  A  wild  yell  from  Jesse,  and  the  eight  spra  ng 
upon  the  unprepared  greasers,  and  before  the  first 
awful  fire  of  Jesse  and  his  clan,  half  the  Mexicans 
were  killed.  The  rest,  horrified,  fled  to  regain  their 
horses  and  decamp.  The  miserable  Bustenado  led 
the  retreat,  and  as  he  gained  his  horse,  with  mean 
and  dastard  spirit  he  fired  a  parting  shot  aimed  at 
Alice  Gordon,  who  had  fainted.  His  aim  happily 
missed  its  mark.  But  Jesse,  quick  as  thought,  sent 
a  bullet  between  his  shoulders,  and  he  fell  upon  his 
horses  neck,  as  dead  as  a  bag  of  sand.  Not  more 
than  six  of  the  company  escaped,  and  they  had  the 
sad  work  to  tell  how  the  weird  Americans  had 
strewn  the  banks  of  the  Rio  Grande  with  the  forms 
of  some  6i  the  bravest  sons  of  Mexico. 

The  cattle  were  turned  homeward,  and  the  rescued 
Alice  Gordon  sat  upon  her  horse  as  gay  as  a  queen, 
and  headed  the  procession  back  to  the  vale  of  Pecos, 
where  Frank  and  Jesse  James  are'tbought  of  to  thic 
day  as  brave,  heroic  men, 


CHAPTER    XXXVII. 

THE  ROBBERY  AT  BIG  SPRINGS. 

THE     Zl-AMPERS    AT  ^OGALLALA— $100,000    HAUL  \  —  JIM 

BERRY  AND  THE  BANDANAS— WHO  WAS  THE 

MYSTERIOUS  UNKNOWN  ? 

T)ie  scene  changes  once  more.  We  are  back  from 
the  land  of  the  Pampas  and  the  Aztecs  and  once 
more  within  the  range  of  comparative  civilization. 
Big  Springs  is  the  name  of  a  railroad  station  about 
twenty-three  miles  west  of  Ogallala,  between  Keith 
and  Cheyenne  counties,  Nebraska. 

This  quiet  little  spot  unknown  to  any  fame  save 
the  fine  springs  of  water  which  gave  it  its  name,  was 
the  scene  of  one  of  those  remarkably  successful  train 
robberies  with  which  the  readers  of  these  pages  will 
by  this  time  have  grown  familiar.  This,  indeed 
was  one  of  the  greatest  and  inost  daring  of  all  tiie 
robberies. 

It  occurred  a  little  after  nightfall  on  the  17tli  of 
September,  1877.  The  train  came  from  the  Pacific 
slope,  and  was  known  to  contain  considerable  treas- 
ure, and  beside  the  treasure  in  gold,  the  train  had  on 

(264) 


The  Robbery  at  Big  Springs,  265 

board  a  great  crowd  of  very  wealthy  passengers. 
As  the  ill-fated  train  pulled  up  at  Big  Springs,  seven 
men,  with  red  bandana  handkerchiefs  over  their 
heads  and  revolvers  in  their  hands,  came  on  board, 
ordering  the  passengers  to  be  quiet  if  the}^  valued 
their  lives. 

The  safe  in  the  express  car  had  $(52,000  in  gold  be- 
longing to  Wells,  Fargo  &  Co.,  this  the  robber-gang 
quietly  appropriated.  Then  two  men  well  armed 
followed  by  a  third  who  carried  the  ever-useful  sack, 
went  through  the  train  and  took  from  the  affrighted 
passengers  all  their  possessions.  Not  a  life  was 
taken,  and  only  a  few  random  shots  were  fired  to 
assure  the  passengers  that  they  meant  business.  It 
would  be  impossible  to  compute  the  gains  of  that 
wild  raid,  but  they  certainly  could  not  fall  far  short 
of  $100,000.  The  night's  work  clearly  done,  the  raid- 
ers rode  off  to  the  plains  and  the  train  proceeded  on 
its  eastward  coarse  through  Bovale  to  Ogallala. 

Great  excitement  prevailed  and  suspicion  at 
once  fell  on  a  number  of  so-called  "stockmen,'' 
who  were  on  their  way  from  the  pastures  of  the 
"Lone  Star,"  with  cattle  for  the  Chicago  market. 
These  stockmen  had  encamped  near  Ogallala  and 
had  been  there  two  or  three  days  prior  to  the  raid  of 
the  Pacific  express.  It  transpired  that  this  camping 
party  consisted  of  an  old  guei-riUa  nai^ied  Jim  Berry 
from  Missouri,  Jack  Davis  of  Fort  Smith,  Billy  Hef- 
f ridge,  and  Sam  Bass.  A  mystery  has  always  hung 
about  the  other  two.  One  especially  seems  never  to 
have  been  identified.     He  was  often  spoken  of  in 


266        The  Life  of  Frank  and  Jesse  James, 

this    connection   as  the   ''mysterious  unknown." 

Those  red  bandanas  gave  the  clue  to  the  robbers. 
Jim  Berry  had  bought  those  bandanas  in  Leach's 
store  in  Ogallala.  This  man  Leach  had  done  a  little 
in  the  amateur  detective  business,  and  was  anxious 
to  make  money  and  a  name,  and  finding  a  piece  of 
one  of  the  bandanas  in  the  camp  which  the  "  stock- 
men "  had  deserted  at  Ogallala,  and  knowing  the 
goods  to  exactly  correspond  with  the  piece  in  his 
store  from  which  those  were  cut  which  were  sold  to 
Jim  Berry,  he  could  hardly  help  following  up  so 
palpable  a  clue.  He  followed  stealthily  upon  the 
track  of  these  ''stockmen"  and  saw  them  on  one  oc- 
casion dividing  the  spoils,  but  that  was  not  his  time 
to  strike.  He  was  specially  intent  on  securing  Jim 
Berry,  the  Missourian,  who  was  known  among  guer- 
rillas as  "the  best  man  in  Callaway  County." 

"  The  best  man  in  Callaway  "  soon  began  to  ren- 
der his  foes  efficient  service.  He  got  to  changing  an 
unusual  number  of  $20  gold  pieces,  wore  very  fine 
clothes,  sported  a  fine  gold  watch  and  gave  other 
manifest  signs  that  he  Jiad  made  a  great  strike  of  some 
sort  recently.  Sheriff  Glascock  was  urged  by  Leach 
to  institute  a  thorough  search  for  Berry.  On  Satur- 
day evening,  October  14th,  1877,  he  was  caught  in  a 
wood  by  the  sheriff.  A  sufficient  guard  was  on  the 
watch,  and  the  sheriff  gave  this  command: 

"  Boys,  if  you  see  him.  halt  him;  if^he  shows  fight, 
shoot  him;  if  he  runs,  shoot  him  in  the  legs.  Catch 
him,  at  all  hazards." 

The  sheriff  and  his  posse  were  lying  in  ambush 


The  Bobbery  at  Big  Springs.  367 

when  Berry  appeared,  thesheriff  fired  but  the  shot 
went  over  the  fugitive's  head,  but  the  next  charge 
sent  seven  buck  shots  into  Berry's  left  leg.  The  poor 
fellow  brought  thus  to  bay,  begged  that  his  foes 
would  kill  him  outright.  To  this  the  sheriff  gave  no 
heed,  but  ordered  that  Berry  be  searched.  His  belt 
was  found  to  contain  five  $500  packages  of  money, 
his  pocket-book  had  in  it  $304  in  all,  $^,804:  were 
found  upon  his  person,  besides  jewelry.  He  was 
taken  to  a  house  not  far  away  and  a  surgeon  was 
sent  for  to  attend  to  his  wounds.  Sheriff  Glascock 
then  went  to  the  house  of  Berry.  But  Mrs.  Berry 
knew  nothing  of  her  husband's  movements  or  his 
whereabouts.  She  had  not  seen  him  for  several 
days,  thought  perhaps  he  had  left  the  country,  was 
expecting  to  hear  from  him  by  every  mail.  The 
sheriff  saw  that  Mrs.  Barry  was  more  than  a 
match  for  him.  He  then  pulled  out  the  watch  he 
had  taken  from  the  wounded  man  and  asked  her  if 
she  knew  that,  before  she  had  time  to  reply  the  eld- 
est girl  cried  out: 

**Why,  that's  papa's  watch!" 

The  whole  story  now  dawned  upon  Mrs.  Barry, 
that  her  husband  was  arrested.  Her  grief  was  un- 
controlable.  The  sad  wailings  of  the  troubled  wife 
and  her  five  little  girls  and  one  boy  were  most  piti- 
ful. And  yet  in  the  midst  of  it  all  she  paid  a  tribute 
to  her  husband's  intrepid  courage. 

*' And  so  you  say  Jim's  taken!"  said  Mrs.  Berry, 
looking  sternly  at  the  sheriff. 

"Yes,"  said  the  officer,  and  he  then  detailed  the 


2G8        The  Life  of  Frank  and  Jesse  James. 

story  of  that  Sunday  morning's  arrest  to  the  wife. 

"Well,"  said  the  brave  woman,  as  if  somewhat 
disappointed;  *' I  never  thought  Jim  would  be  taken 
alive,  never!" 

The  house  was  searched  but  no  valuables  or  money 
were  found.  Mrs.  Berry  at  once  hastened  to  the 
Ringo  House,  where  her  husband  lay  wounded  and 
dying.  The  next  day  gangrene  set  in  and  for  two 
days  he  suffered  great  torture;  but  his  sorrows  were 
cheered  by  the  tender  ministries  of  love.  Mrs.  Berry 
never  left  his  side.  On  Tuesday  evening  Jim  Berry, 
the  "best  man  of  Callaway,"  saw  the  sun  set  for 
the  last  time,  the  strange,  stormy  life  came  to  a 
peaceful  end;  he  breathed  his  last  with  his  weary 
head  pillowed  on  the  aching  heart  of  his  devoted 
wife. 

Of  the  seven  men  who  robbed  the  train  at  Big 
Springs,  four  of  them  came  to  an  untimely  end  in 
a  very  short  space  of  time.  But  who  was  the  mys- 
terious unknown  seventh?  Was  it  Jesse  Jame^? 
t^ossibly!    Probably!    But  this  deponent  sayeth  not 


CHAPTER  XXXYIIL 

ANOTHER  RAILWAY  RAID. 

ANOTHER    RAILWAY    RAID — THE    SOLDIERS     OF    GLEN- 
DALE— THE   WHOLE   POPULATION   OF   GLENDALE 
IMPRISONED — THE   NIGHT   EXPRESS   FROM 
ST.  LOUIS — $30,000  HAUL  !   IN  SEARCH 
FOR  THE  robbers! — A  PLOT  TO 
MURDER  JESSE !— GEORGE  V/. 
SHEPHERD  FIRES  THE 
SHOT. 

Since  the  direful  tragedy  of  Northfield,  Frank  and 
Jesse  James  had  left  the  Western  borders  of  Mis- 
souri unblessed  by  their  presence.  For  three  years 
as  we  have  seen  they  pursued  a  devious  way  amid 
the  great  wilds  of  Texas,  and  on  the  banks  of  the 
Rio  Grande.  It  was  hoped  that  their  exile  would  be 
permanent.  For  though  they  still  had  many  friends 
in  Missouri, and  Kentuck}^  still  even  these  were  dis- 
posed to  think  that  for  these  States  and  for  them- 
selves it  would  be  well  if  the  James  Boys  trans- 
ferred themselves  permanently  to  some  distant 
scene.  Three  years  seems  a  long  or  short  period 
under  differing  circumstances.      It  was,  howeve**, 

{369) 


270        Tlie  Life  of  Frank  and  Jesse  James, 

quite  long  enough  to  give  the  Missourians  ground  to 
hope  that  now  the  reign  of  law  and  order  was  fully 
established  in  Missouri. 

But  in  the  Autumn  days  of  1879  this  fond  dream 
was  utterly  dispelled.  When  the  newspapers  of 
October  the  8th  announced  far  and  wide  that 
another  of  those  terrible  railway  raids  had  success- 
fully taken  place,  then  it  seemed  as  if  the  reign  of 
law  and  order  was  to  give  place  to  the  old  reign  of 
terror. 

"Have  you  heard?  Those  merciless  devils  are 
back  again,  and  busy  at  their  old  work ! " 

This  was  the  common  speech  in  the  mouths  of 
western  border  men  in  those  bright  October  days  of 
1879. 

Glendale  is  a  lonely  flag  station  in  Lafayette 
County,  Missouri  and  is  on  the  Kansas  City  branch 
of  the  Chicago  &  Alton  Railway.  Its  situation  is 
most  picturesque.  The  lofty  dark  hills,  torn  into 
clefts  and  glens  and  dales,  no  doubt  suggested  the 
name  of  Glendale.  The  whole  region  seemed  to 
hint  that  a  spare  handful  of  Bonny  Scotland  had 
been  cast  on  this  far  western  scene. 

Glendale,  famous  for  its  beauty  and  majestic  sur- 
roundings, was  not  famous,  for  an  extensive  popula- 
tion. There  is  the  flag-station,  a  post-office  and  a 
general  store  connected  with  the  post-office,  but 
there  is  not  so  much  as  a  blacksmith's  shop,  or  a 
saloon.  The  male  population  of  Glendale  numbered 
six  when  the  James  boys  took  the  census  in  October 
1877.     On  the  evening  of  the  7th  of  October  in  this 


Another    Raihvat/  lid  id.  J>71 

year  of  grace  1877  the  whole  of  the  male  population 
except  the  station  agent  were  sitting  outside  the 
post-office  store. 

''  It's  a  fine  night,  Mr.  Anderson,"  said  one  ot  the 
compan 

''  Deed  it  is,"  added  the  postmaster  who  being  a 
Scotchman  was  sparing  even  of  his  speech. 

^'  But  there's  a  storm  brewing  I'm  thinking  "  added 
.1  third,  who  little  knew  what  allegorical  truth  there 
was  in  his  prognostication. 

At  this  point  a  stranger  suddenly  made  his  appear- 
ance and  tapping  the  somewhat  astonished  post- 
master on  the  shoulder,  said; 

^'  I  want  you." 

''  What  do  you  want?"  asked  the  postmaster. 

The  new  arrival  did  not  deign  to  answer  the  ques« 
tion,  but  quietly  stepped  away,  and  said- 

*^  Here,  boys." 
r  In  a  minute — nay,  a  moment — half  a  dozen  rough- 
Poking  men,  muffled  and  masked,  stood  by  his  side, 
armed  with  huge  pistols  and  wicked-looking  knives. 
Their  pistols  they  held  cocked  in  their  hands.  Then 
the  leader,  iii  a  harsh,  grating  voice,  said; 

*'  Now,  take  care,  make  tracks  out  of  this! '' 

*' Where  are  w^e to  go?"  asked  the  man  who  had 
just  prophesied  a  storm. 

"  To  the  depot,"  was  the  brief  answer.  And  so 
the  little  company  filed  off  to  the  depot.  There  was 
Mr.  Mclntire  the  operator  and  agent,  his  venerable 
mother  was  in  a  room  overhead  and  Mr.  W.  E. 
Bridges  assistant  auditor  of  the  Chicago  &  Alton 


27z        The  Life  of  Frank  and  Jesse  James. 

line  was  taking  tea  with  Mrs.  Mclntire  in  the  room 
over  the  office. 

The  leader  of  the  masked  men,  for  there  were 
twelve  of  them  now  at  the  door  of  the  depot,  saunter- 
ed lazily  into  the  office  and  said: 

"  I  want  to  send  a  message  to  Chicago." 

'^ All  right!"  said  Mr.  Mclntire.  But  before  he 
was  well  aware,  a  heavy  hand  waspaid  on  his  arm 
and  he  was  pulled  back  with  the  astonishing  an- 
nouncement. 

^'  You  are  my  prisoner." 

In  a  moment  the  instrument  was  torn  from  its 
place  and  rendered  utterly  useless.  The  instrument 
was  smashed. 

'•Now,"  said  the  leader,  whose  only  mask  was  a 
long  dark  beard,  ''  I  want  you  to  lower  that  greer. 
light!" 

"  But,"  said  the  agent,  ^'  the  train  will  stop  if  I  do.'* 

*' That's  the  alum!  precisely  what  we  want  it  to 
do,  my  buck,  and  the  sooner  you  obey  orders  the 
better.  I  will  give  you  a  minute  to  lower  the  light," 
said  the  bearded  leader,  at  the  same  time  thrusting 
a  cocked  pistol  to  the  face  of  the  agent. 

The  operator  could  see  the  long,  bright  barrel  of 
the  pistol  and  yielded  at  discretion. 

The  order  was  obeyed  with  the  reluctance  with 
which  a  conscientious  man  puts  his  hand  to  such 
work,  but  the  agent  was  powerless  to  resist,  and  he 
obeyed  the  order. 

Before  this  was  done  he  had  been  asked,  ''  Any- 
body up  stairs?    Do  you  hear?"  and  he  had  answe^'ed 


Another  Railway  Raid,  273 

truthfully  that  his  mother  was  there,  and  that  the 
traveling  auditor  of  the  road  and  she  were  taking  tea 
when  he  came  down. 

One  of  the  robbers  mounted  the  stairs  and  soon  re- 
lieved Mr.  Bridges  of  his  money  and  a  handsome 
gold  watch.  Mrs.  Mclntire  was  almost  frantic  with 
fears  for  her  son's  safety,  but  was  assured  that  he 
should  not  be  harmed  if  he  did  as  he  was  told. 

The  robbers  now  concealed  themselves  and  waited 
for  the  train  which  was  now  at  hand. 

At  the  moment  of  its  arrival  tAvo  of  the  _masked 
robbers  rushed  to  the  cab  of  the  locomotive  and  de- 
manded the  coal  hammer. 

''What  do  you  want  with  it?"  asked  the  engineer. 

* '  Never  do  you  mind !  Hand  it  here  quick  or  you'll 
never  have  use  for  a  hammer  again|"  was  the  re- 
sponse. 

Thei  hammer  was  yielded  and  soon  was  brought 
into  r  3quisition  to  break  open  the  door  of  the  exjjre^s 
car  w  hich  had  been  securely  locked  on  the  first  faint 
gleam  of  danger  by  the  messenger  Mr.  William 
Grimes.  The  faithful  custodian  of  the  express 
treasures  had  formed  the  plan  of  hiding  the  gold  or 
escaping  with  it.  He  took  most  of  the  money  out  of 
Ihe  safe  and  hastely  deposited  it  in  a  satchel  which 
he  carried  with  him.  He  swung  the  safe  do^r  too 
and  was  making  for  the  further  door  of  exit- 
He  was  one  moment  to  late!  Tlie  robbers  con- 
fronted him. 

"  Here  you!  "  said  one  of  them  ^'  give  me  the  key 
of  that  d— d  safe  and  qunik!" 


274        'ihe  Life  af  Frank  and  Jesse  James 

**  I  will  not"  said  Grimes  ''take  it  if  you  want 
too!" 

In  a  moment  the  faithful  Grimes  lay  senseless  on 
the  floor  from  a  blow  from  the  butt  end  of  a  revolver. 
The  safe  was  ransacked,  the  money  in  the  satchel 
was  taken  and  other  valuables.  The  train  had 
waited  ten  minutes  at  Glendale,  but  not  for  refresh- 
ments! During  that  brief  space  the  sum  of  $35,000 
to  $40,000  had  been  stolen.  The  train  was  then 
ordered  to  proceed.  The  prisoners  were  released 
from  the  station  house. 

Before  leaving,  the  leader  of  the  gang  gave  Mr. 
Bridges  a  dispatch  to  send  to  the  Kansas  City  Jour- 
nal from  the  next  station.  It  was  dated  Blue  Springs, 
Missouri,  and  read:  "  We  are  the  boys  who  are  hard 
to  handle,  and  we  will  make  it  hot  for  the  boys  who 
try  to  take  us."  The  dispatch  was  signed  with  the 
names  of  Frank  and  Jesse  James,  Jack  Bishop,  Jim 
Connors,  Cool  Carter  and  three  others. 

What  the  worth  of  that  dispatch  is  it  is  hard  to 
tell,  but  there  is  no  moral  doubt  but  that  both  Frank 
and  Jesse  James  were  engaged  in  this  raid.  Again 
and  again  it  has  been  shown  in  these  pages  that 
where  Frank  was  excellent  in  planning,  Jesse  waa 
equally  excel]  ^nL  in  execution.  No  team  of  horses 
ever  ran  together  in  harness  with  more  perfect  har- 
mony than  Frank  and  Jesse  ran  together  in  their 
wild  career  of  crime. 

In  this  last  work  against  peace  and  order,  the 
biack-bearded  leader  of  the  Glendale  fray  can 
hardly  have  been  any  other  than  Frank  James. 


Another   Railwaij  Raid,  275 

Major  James  Liggett,  of  Kansas  City,  now  set  to 
work  to  discover  the  robbers.  But  cool  of  brain 
and  brave  of  heart  and  mos^  patient  in  the  execu- 
tion of  every  purpose,  he  set  himself  a  task  that  was 
not  easy  of  performance.  In  setting  out  to  hunt  the 
Jameses  down  he  sat  himself 

"  A  derned  long  row  to  hoe." 
The  major  saw  no  way  of  accomplishing  his  purpose 
by  straightforward  means,  so  he  resolved  to  employ 
stratagem.  George  W.  Shepherd,  who  had  had  a 
most  checquered  career,  who  belonged  to  the  old 
guerrilla  band  in  the  days  of  Quantrell,  who  had 
been  captured,  sentenced  to  a  term  in  the  peniten- 
tiary, and  had  served  that  term  and  came  out  to 
find  his  trusty  spouse  had  during  his  "durance  vile" 
taken  advantage  of  the  divorce  act,  and  was  now 
the  lawful  wife  of  another.  This  shock  and  blow 
to  Shepherd's  constant  affections  turned  the  tide  of 
his  life.  He  had  promised  the  parson  in  the  peni- 
tentiary that  as  soon  as  ever  he  waa  released  he 
would  begin  a  new  course  of  life.  All  convicts  do 
this,  and  probably  George  W.  Shepherd  meant  to 
do  so,  just  as  seriously  as  all  other  convicts  do. 

But  when  he  found  himself  so  basely  deserted  by 
the  wife  of  his  bosom,  saw  all  the  hopes  and  dreams 
of  his  long  prison  years  thus  rudely  cast  aside,  he 
gave  up  all  faith  in  woman's  constancy,  all  trust  in 
goodness,  human  and  divine,  and  flinging  the  reins 
to  the  horses  he  sang, 

*Hey,  lads;  hey  I 
The  devil  take  the  hindermost." 


376        The  Life  of  Frank  and  Jesse  James, 

For  a  good  long  time  Shepherd  was  associated 
with  the  James  boys,  and  more  particularly  with 
Jesse-  It  was  through  Shepherd  that  Major  Ligget 
hoped  to  reach  his  prize.  It  would  appear  from  all 
that  can  be  gathered  that  Jesse,  w^iile  in  a  general 
way  he  trusted  Shepherd,  still  had  misgivings  more 
than  once  that  if  circumstances  were  more  favora- 
ble to  himself  than  to  his  comrades,  he  would  look 
well  to  himself  and  leave  his  comrades  to  take  care 
for  themselves,  but  Jesse  never  thought  Shepherd 
base  enough  for  absolute  betrayal. 

Another  element  must  be  considered  in  this  story. 
Shepherd  had  a  nephew  named  Flanner}^  whose 
body  was  found  murdered,  and  he  was  then  robbed 
of  $1000  in  hard  cash.  Shepherd  always  charged 
this  murder  at  the  door  of  Jesse  James  and  Jim 
Anderson.  So  there  was  in  his  mind  a  grudge 
against  both  Jesse  and  Jim  Anderson. 

It  will  be  seen  that  Shepherd  held  an  attitude  to- 
ward Jesse  that  made  him  a  ready  tool  in  Leggit's 
hands.  Shepherd  had  been  working  at  a  dry  goods 
store.  Leggit's  plan  was  that  Shepherd  was  to  find 
out  Jesse,  tell  him  that  it  was  no  use  trying  to  walk 
straight,  the  detectives  were  always  shadowing 
him.  He  was  to  show  bogus  newspaper  clippings 
to  that  effect,  tell  Jesse  that  he  wanted  to  come 
back  and  join  him,  and  then,  at  a  convenient  time, 
betray  Jesse  to  his  employers.  Shepherd  was  to  be 
provided  with  a  horse  and  $50  a  month  till  the  job 
was  done,  and  then  the  great  rewards  were  to  be 
divided 


Another  Railway  Raid,  277 

That  Shepherd  killed  Jim  Anderson  to  be  avenged 
of  the  death  of  his  nephew  is  probably  true.  He 
took  him  to  a  lonely  spot,  accused  him  of  a  share  in 
the  murder  and  robbery,  and  gained  a  sort  of  half 
admission  of  the  truth  of  the  charge.  He  then  drew 
instantly  a  keen  polished  blade,  and  swift  as  revenge 
he  cut  the  throat  of  his  quondam  companion,  and 
nearly  tore  his  head  from  his  body. 

That  Shepherd  shot  Jesse  James  too  is  also  true. 
Jesse,  we  are  told,  fell  from  his  horse,  and  Shepherd 
believing  he  had  killed  him,  fled.  But  Jesse  was 
not  killed,  as  we  shall  see.  This  strange  affray 
came  off  at  Short  Creek.     Shepherd  called  out  to 

Jesse,    "D n  you,  Jesse   James,   thirteen  years 

ago  you  killed  my  nephew  Frank,"  and  with  that 
he  wheeled  round  and  fired.  And  when,  as  he 
thought,  the  redoubtable  Jesse  was  dead,  he  dashed 
away  to  parts  unknown. 

But  Jesse  was  not  mortally  wounded,  though  the 
wound  was  an  ugly  one,  and  threatened  to  be  fatal. 
For  a  long  time  Mrs.  Samuels,  Jesse's  mother,  be- 
lieved him  dead,  or  affected  to  believe  so  to  put 
people  off  his  track,  which  is  much  more  probable. 

This  shooting  took  place  in  1879.  In  April  of  last 
year — 1880 — a  very  large  immigration  convention 
took  place  in  St.  Louis,  Jesse  James — under  another 
name  of  course — was  a  guest  at  the  Lindell  hotel. 
He  enjoyed  the  best  with  the  best.  He  was  dressed 
in  a  dark  suit  and  wore  a  soft  felt  hat.  He  was 
known  and  recognized  by  many  old  friends,  though 
he  maintained  during  his  stay  in  St  Louis  the  ut- 


278        The  Life  of  Frank  and  Jesse  James. 

most  reticence  regarding  himself  and  his  comrades. 
Jesse  James  is  still  a  free  rover!     His  shrewdness 
is  unexampled,  his  resources  are  unlimited.     What 
tiis  future  will  bej  who  can  tell? 


CHAPTER    XXXIX. 

THE  MAMMOTH  CAVE  STAGES. 

THE   LAST    OF  THE    STAGE    ROBBERIES— THE    SOLITARY 

•lady — CATALOGUE    OP    THE    SWAG  !—"  GIVE 

MY  LOVE  TO  THE  GIRLS  !  " 

The  last  daring  feat  of  the  highwaymanship 
attributed  to  the  James  brothers  took  place  in  Sep- 
tember, 1880,  after  the  following  fashion: 

The  Mammoth  Cave  is  the  giant  sight  of  Kentucky. 
Thousands  on  thousan^ls  flock  year  by  year  to  gaze 
upon  its  mysteries  and  marvels.  If  less  majestic  it 
is  not  less  wonderful  than  the  world-renowned  Falls 
of  Niagara.' 

in  the  fall  of  the  year  tourists  and  pilgrims  from 
all  lands  visit  this  famous  scene.  And  as  they  are 
generally  wealthy  people  who  come  they  are  sup- 
posed to  carry  about  with  them,  as  a  rule,  the 
"  wherewithal "  so  necessary  for  the  sight-seer  in 
these  regions.  If  they  would  see  what  is  to  be  seen, 
they  must  heed  lago's  advice  to  Roderigo:^ 
'Put  money  iu  thy  purse." 

The  well-lined  corpulent    pocket-books  of  these 
(^79) 


280        The  Life  of  Frank  and  Jesse  James. 

tourists  have  often  proved  a  sore  temptation  to  the 
robbers  who  sometimes  infest  that  neighborhood. 

One  of  the  favorite  routes  to  the  cave  is  by  the 
Louisville  and  Nashville  railroad,  to  Cave  City,  and 
thence  by  the  Concord  stage  to  the  cave,  a  run  of 
some  eight  or  ten  miles.  About  half  way  between 
Cave  City  and  the  cave  there  is  a  dense  wood,  serv- 
ing as  an  exquisite  shade  in  the  heat  of  the  day,  but 
as  the  shadows  of  evening  fall,  the  whole  region 
/ooks  sombre  and  gloomy. 

It  was  a  little  after  6  o'clock  on  Friday  evening, 
September  3rd,  1880,  that  the  Concord  Cave-coach 
came  rumbling  along,  carrying  seven  gentlemen 
and  one  lady.  The  coach  had  got  well  under  the 
gloomy  shadow  of  the  wood,  when  the  driver  descried 
faintly  two  horsemen  in  the  distance,  he  took  little 
notice  of  them  till  they  got  nearer,  the  younger  of 
the  two  suddenly  cried:     "  Halt ! " 

And  with  that,  presented  a  pair  of  revolvers  at  the 
driver's  head  and  covered  the  whole  stage.  The 
driver  pulled  up  and  was  ordered  to  the  door  of  his 
coach.  He  saw  at  once  whom  he  had  to  deal  with. 
And  by  their  peremptory  manner  as  much  as  by 
their  personal  appearance,  he  knew  the  strangers  to 
be  Frank  James  and  one  of  his  gang,  and  begged 
his  passengers,  if  they  valued  their  lives,  to  yield  to 
the  highway  men  without  a  moment's  resistance; 
arguing  with  an  irresistible  logic: 

**  You  see,  they'll  have  your  money,  anyhow,  and 
if  you  bother  'em  they'll  have  your  life  as  well  as 
your  money." 


The  Mamntot/i   Cure  SI  ages.  281 

*'  Come  out  of  the  stage,  please,"  said  the  rider 
who  had  first  commanded  the  halt. 

The  order  took  the  shape  of  the  most  polite  request. 
The  passengers  looked  through  the  open  windows 
and  saw  the  muzzles  of  two  pair  of  revolvers,  com- 
manding the  whole  line  of  the  stage.  The  passen- 
gers needed  no  further  argument.  Mr.  R.  S.  Roun- 
tree,  of  the  Milwaukee  Evening  Wisconsin,  was 
wide  awake  to  the  importance  of  the  hour,  and  man- 
aged to  slip  his  gold  watch  and  pocket-book  under 
the  cushion  as  he  rose  to  leave  the  stage.  Miss 
Rountree,  daughter  of  the  Hon.  R.  Rountree,  of 
Lebanon.  Ky.,  the  only  lady  on  board,  was  permit- 
ted to  retain  her  seat.  After  the  passengers  were 
out  and  stood  in  single  file,  Frank  James  tossed  his 
rein  to  his  companion,  who  covered  the  whole  line 
with  his  pistols,  and  then  proceeded  to  search  their 
pockets,  while  they  were  charged  to  hold  up  their 
hands  and  keep  them  up.  There  seems  not  to  have 
been  the  first  thought  of  resistance.  How  success- 
ful the  raid  was  may  be  gathered  from  the  following 
detailed 

CATALOGUE   OF   THE   SWAG. 

The  cash: — 

J.  E.  Craig,  Jr.,  Lawrenceville,  Ga $670 

Hon.  R.  H.  Rountree,  Lebanon 55 

S.  W.  Shelton,  Calhoun,  Pa 50 

S.  H.  Frohlichstein,  Mobile  23 

G.  M.  Parsley,  Pittsburg '  33 

G.W.Welsh.  " 5 

Total T$93i 


t^2        The  Life  of  Frank  and  Jesse  James. 

Beside  this  they  bagged  about  $200  worth  of  jew* 
elry.  When  they  were  through  with  their  examin- 
ation and  robbery,  they  generously  returned  the 
railway  passes  and  tickets  that  were  no  manner  of 
use  in  the  world  to  them.  Then  with  the  utmost 
nonchalance  they  proceeded  to  explain  that  they 
were  not  robbers  !  Oh  !  dear,  no,  nothing  so  vulgar! 
They  were  only  moonshiners  who  were  unduly 
pressed  by  an  unreasonable  Government,  were  com- 
pelled to  leave  the  country,  and  of  course  they  could 
not  go  without  money.  And,  therefore,  though 
much  against  their  principles,  they  were  compelled 
to  levy  toll  after  this  fashion.  They  were  extreme- 
ly sorry  if  they  had  given  any  undue  annoyance. 
It  might  be  some  consolation  to  know  that  they  had 
taken  toll  from  the  out-going  coach  that  very  after- 
noon, and  Mr.  George  Crogham,  one  of  the  owners 
of  the  celebrated  cave,  had  contributed  the  hand- 
sum  of  $700. 

Turning  to  Mr.  Craig,  of  Georgia,  Frank  said  he 
hated  worse  than  anything  to  take  his  money,  for 
in  the  late  war  he  had  fought  in  a  Georgia  regiment 
himself,  but  then  he  had  no  option. 

''You  know,  my  dear  sir,"  said  Frank,  with  a 
smile,  "  Needs  must  when  the  devil  drives." 

Turning  to  the  onb  lady  of  the  party  the  imperti- 
nent robber  enquired  her  name. 

''Miss  Rountree,  of  Lebanon,"  said  the  lady, 
scarcely  able  to  hide  her  disgust. 

"  Indeed  I "  said  Frank,  his  face  quite  lighting  up 
with  a  smile,  "  why  then  vou'll  nrobabiy  know  some 


The  Mammoth  Cave  Stages.  283 

friends  of  mine.  I  have  some  very  dear  friends  in 
Lebanon.  .  Do  3^011  happen  to  know  the  Misses 
Smithers  who  live  there?" 

*^  Yes,  sir,  I  do,"  repb'ed  Miss  Rountree. 

*' Dear  me,"  added  Frank,  "what  a  coincidence! 
Nice  girls  the  Smithers'  girls,  ain't  they?  Real  jolly 
girls!  No  nonsense,  you  know,  but  real  out  and 
outers!  I  wish  you'd  give  my  love  to  them  when 
you  see  them.  Tell  them  not  to  be  afraid,  I'll  make 
all  this  right." 

By  this  time  the  passengers  were  again  in  the 
stage  and  Frank  ordered  the  driver  to  drive  oti,  and 
as  the  old  stage  rumbled  along  he  shouted  a  fare- 
well request  to  Miss  Rountree: 

"  Be  sure  and  give  my  love  to  the  girls!  " 

The  old  coach  rumbled  on  to  the  great  Mammoth 
Cave,  its  occupants  were  sad  and  morose  and  gloomy, 
their  lightness  of  pocket  accounting  for  their  heavi- 
ness of  heart. 

But  Frank  James  and  James  Cummings,  heavy 
of  pocket  and  light  of  heart,  rode  off  in  another 
direction. 


CHAPTEE  XL. 
fHE  Last  dark  deeds  of  the  james  gang. 

MORE  ROBBERY  AND  BLOOD  SHED— WILLIAM  WESTFAl  J.- 
AND  J.  MCMILLAN  THE   LAST  VICTIMS  OF  THE 
BLOODY    CONFEDERATION — THE   DE- 
MORALIZED   PASSENGERS. 

After  a  period  of  comparative  peace  the  old  battle- 
field of  the  James  and  Younger  brothers  rings  again 
the  tocsin  of  alarm,  another  of  those  atrocious  ex- 
ploits that  stain  the  pages  of  modern  civilization  and 
bring  the  blush  of  shame  to  every  humane  cheek. 

America  from  Cape  Cod  to  the  Golden  Gate  and 
from  the  mountains  to  the  sea,  was  in  the  throes  of 
a  great  sorrow  I  In  the  midst  of  general  and  wide 
spread  prosperity,  when  all  went  merry  as  a  mar- 
riage-bell; the  whole  land  was  suddenly  convulsed 
with  a  great  horror  at  the  dastardly  attempt  of  a 
blood-thirsty  assassin — in  the  person  of  Charles  Jules 
Guiteau—to  take  the  life  of  General  James  A.  Gar- 
field, President  of  the  United  States.  On  the  second 
of  July  in  the  very  heart  of  the  smiling  summer, 
this  would  be  murderer,  fired  three  shots  at  the  un- 
offending Head  of  the  Nation.     The  assassin  giving 

(284) 


Tlie  Last  Dark  Deeds  of  the  James  Gang.     28f' 

this  reason  for  his  shameful  deed,  that  the  death  ot 
the  President  was  necessary  for  the  good  of  the  Re 
public'an  cause.  Those  shots  resounded  through  the 
length  and  breadth  of  the  great  Republic.  And  the 
pages  of  history  have  no  record  to  paralell  the  great 
agony  of  grief  that  America  and  subsequently  the 
whole  civilized  world  felt  and  manifested  for  her 
smitten  wounded  chief.  Day  by  day  and  hour  by 
hour  the  bulletins  were  waited  and  watched  for  with 
most  intense  anxiety.  And  just  as  relief  came  in 
the  approaching  convalesence  of  the  illustrious  suf 
icrer;  the  ear  and  heart  of  Western  America  was 
startled  and  alarmed  by  the  record  of  another  of 
those  murderers  frays  that  were  so  common  on  the 
Western  border  line  of  Missouri  years  ago. 

On  a  peaceful  summer  night,  Friday  July  15th 
1881,  the  desperate  attack  took  place;  the  tidings 
swept  along  the  telegraph  lines  ;  and  early  the  next 
morning  the  world  was  startled  by  the  intelligence 
of  the  latest  exploits  of  this  bloody  confedera  *.:<:■  : 
And  once  again  the  questions  are  being  aske  \\xy 
cannot  this  wild  band  of  men  be  suppressed  .  Are 
the  laws  of  Missouri  inadequate  to  meet  th,"^  r,'ase? 
Or  being  equal  to  such  emergences,  do  thf  proper 
authorities  tremble  at  the  task  of  putting  tJ.em  into 
operation?  Is  Missouri  or  its  western  border  to  \  e 
the  undisputed  scene  of  wholesale  plunder  and  cruel 
murder?  The  recent  developements  in  a  district  of 
Ontario,  Canada,  in  which  religious  factions  and 
family  fueds  led  to  the  notorious  Biddulph  murde?  s, 
are  bad  enough  in  all  conscience,  but  they  are  notr-. 


286        The  Life  of  Frank  and  Jesse  James. 

ing  compared  to  the  twenty  years  of  a  reign  of  terror 
during  which  the  Youngers  and  the  Jameses  have 
ruled;  the  red-handed  murderous  tyrants  of  K*ansas 
and  Missouri.  The  leading  journals  of  the  west  are 
asking  why  the  peaceful,  law-abiding  inhabitants  of 
these  regions  do  not  rise  and  put  an  end  to  this  state 
of  things.  They  do  not  openly  propose  a  vigilance 
committee,  nor  do  they  in  as  many  words  recommend 
a  trial  of  the  methods  of  Judge  Lynch.  But  it  is 
clear  that  the  modus  operandi  would  not  greatly 
distress  them,  so  long  as  this  murderous  James  gang 
was  once  swept  from  the  face  of  the  earth. 

On  Friday  evening,  July  15th,  1881,  the  Chicago, 
Rock  Island  &  Pacific  train  left  Kansas  City,  with 
its  usual  complement  of  passengers,  but  with  a 
lighter  treasure  than  usual,  both  in  freight  and  bul- 
lion. Indeed  there  was  not  more  than  $2,000  of  ex- 
press money  and  a  few  bars  of  silver,  which  latter 
form  no  strong  temptation  to  robbers,  being  too 
heavy  for  rapid  transit.  The  express  agent  in  charge 
was  Mr.  C.  H.  Murray,  whose  brave  conduct  so  im- 
pressed the  robber-gang  that  they  thought  a  fellow 
with  such  grit  and  pluck  was  worthy  to  be  spared. 
And  it  is  to  be  hoped  that  his  courage  will  not  be 
altogether  overlooked  by  the  company  he  serves. 

The  conductor  of  the  train,  William  Westfall, 
who  fell  a  victim  in  the  fray;  shot  dead  without 
time  for  a  dying  word,  his  blood  and  brains  scattered 
all  along  the  smoking  car  and  on  the  platform  in 
front,  was  an  old  and  widely  respected  conductor  on 
the  line.     An  opinion  is  somewhat  current,  that  one 


ihe  Last  Dark  Deeds  of  the  James  Gang,    287 

of  the  motives  of  the  onslaught,  if  not  the  chief  mo- 
tive, was  vengeance  on  Westfall.  It  is  reported  that 
West>fall  was  a  conductor  on  the  Hannibal  &  St. 
Joe  line  some  years  ago,  when  the  James  brothers 
attacked  and  robbed  a  train,  and  that,  when  the 
Pinkerton  agents  went  in  vain  pursuit  of  the  thieves, 
Westfall  Avas  conductor  of  the  train  and  acted  in 
the  capacity  of  guide  to  the  Pinkerton  clan.  Some 
years  ago  a  half  brother  of  the  James  brothers  was 
killed  in  a  melee  and  a  bombshell  was  thrown  into 
the  house  of  Mrs.  Samuels,  the  mother*  of  these 
men.  It  is  believed  that  Westfall  was  concerned  in 
both  these  acts  of  rough  retribution,  and  that  there* 
fore,  the  James  brothers  cherished  towards  him  the 
bitterest  spirit  of  revenge.  And  as  the  old  crusader 
had  wrought  upon  his  shield  —  ''I  bide  my  time;" 
so  these  border  scoundrels  waited  for  a  convenient 
season  for  their  revenge.  However  this  may  be, 
and  whatever  their  motive  was,  the  gang  did  their 
work  most  effectively. 

The  train  left  Kansas  City  on  time  on  the  memor- 
able Friday  night,  and  all  went  well  till  it  reached 
Cameron,  at  which  spot  a  number  of  the  notorious 
gang  boarded  the  train.  At  the  next  station  east, 
Winston,  the  remaining  members  of  the  robber 
brood  entered  the  train.  It  was  now  dark,  and  the 
train  had  not  gone  far  out  of  Winston  when  the 
muderous  work  began.  The  bell  connecting  with 
the  engine  was  pulled,  presumably  by  some  af- 
frighted passenger;  the  fireman  guessing  something 
was  wrong,  said  to  the  engineer,  "  give  her  hell." 


288        Ihe  Life  of  Frank  and  Jesse  James, 

The  engineer  suddenly  turning  round  became  aware 
of  two  masked  men  with  drawn  revolvers,  seeming 
as  though  they  were  rising  right  off  the  coals  glar- 
ing like  fiends,  one  of  whom  said,  in  hoarse,  com- 
manding tones,  ''go  on,  you ,"  and  he 

instantly  pulled  the  throttle  clean  out  of  the  valve, 
put  out  the  light,  and  escaped  almost  miraculously 
through  a  rain  of  pistol  shots.  He  and  the  fireman 
hung  on  to  the  cowcatcher  for  awhile  and  then  es- 
caped to  the  woods.  Meantime  a  dreadful  work  was 
going  on  in  the  cars.  William  Westfall,  the  con- 
ductor, was  collecting  tickets,  when  a  masked  man, 
— undoubtedly  the  leader  of  the  gang,  Frank  Jamef? 
— dressed  in  a  linen  duster  and  wearing  a  straw  hat, 
followed  by  t  a^o  others,  came  into  the  car,  mutter- 
ing something  to  the  effect  of,  "You  are  my  pris- 
oner, you  are  the  man  I  want,"  without  time  for  a 
moment's  repl^ ,  the  quick,  sharp  crack  of  the  revol- 
ver was  heard  and  the  conductor  was  shot.  West- 
fall reeled  against  the  seat  and  attempted  to  go  out 
of  the  rear  door  of  the  car.  But  all  in  vain.  Shot 
followed  shot,  and  where  the  bullets  struck,  blood 
oozed  forth  from  the  crimson  fountains.  Westfall 
fell  dead  without,  a  word,  on  the  platform,  and  as  the 
train  was  now  slackening  its  pace  his  lifeless  body 
rolled  to  the  ground.  Poor  McMillan,  a  stone 
mason,  in  the  employ  of  the  company,  coming  to 
the  door  of  the  smoking  car,  was  shot  instantly 
dead  by  one  of  the  stray  shots.  A  scene  of  inde- 
scribable tumult  followed.  The  masked  robbers 
went  through  the  cars  firing  their  revolvers  through 


The  Last  Dark  Deeds  of  the  James  Gang.     289 

the  roof  and  threatening,  with  instant  death  any 
who  should  dare  to  stir.  The  panic  of  suspense  was 
awful.  Big  stout  men  crawled  to  the  floor  and  tried 
to  get  under  the  seats.  Others  tried  to  hide  in  the 
Pullman  car,  where  one  devout  old  lady  was  heard 
amid  all  the  tumult  praying  aloud,  that  the  good 
Lord  would  turn  the  hearts  of  these  wicked  men, 
and  spare  the  lives  of  the  passengers. 

For  the  most  part  the  women  were  much  more 
courageous  than  the  men.  The  latter  hiding  their 
valuables  in  all  conceivable  places;  utilizing  the 
water-cooler,  the  spittoons  and  their  boots  as  secret 
hiding  places  for  jewelry,  watches  and  pocket-books. 
While  others  held  up  their  valuables  as  a  sacrifice 
to  appease  the  avarice  of  these  miserable  ghouls. 
One  poor  wretch  scared  well-nigh  to  death,  notwith 
standing  he  was  armed,  pulled  out  his  revolver  and 
laying  it  on  the  window  sill,  saying:  ''  Here,  any- 
body can  have  this^  I  don't  want  it."  One  passen 
ger  in  the  Pullman  car  took  the  precaution  to  hide 
all  his  money  in  one  of  the  pillows,  which,  perhaps, 
was  the  safest  and  wisest  place  under  the  circum- 
stances. The  prevailing  idea  was  that  the  robbers 
were  going  through  the  train  to  plunder  and  murder 
every  passenger  if  need  be.  But  this  was  not  their 
purpose.  To  keep  the  passengers  terror-stricken  for 
a  little  time  was  all  they  wanted  of  them.  But  the 
real  work  of  the  robbers  was  going  on  in  the  bag- 
gage car,  where  the  valuables  of  the  express  com- 
pany are  always  kept. 

The  night  was  very  warm — it  was  mid-July— the 


290        The  Life  of  Frank  and  Jesse  James. 

baggage  van  was  in  charge  of  messenger  C.  H.  Mur- 
ray, and  baggage-man  Stampes;  and  they  had  the 
door  of  the  car  partly  open  for  the  sake  of  ventila- 
tion. When  the  train  so  suddenly  stopped  Stampes 
was  going  to  the  door  to  see  what  was  the  matter, 
but  he  was  suddenly  grabbed  by  the  legs  by  one  of 
four  masked  men  who  said  in  a  savage  tone  of 
voice  : 

^'  Come  out,  you of  a ,  come  out!" 

With  this  Stampes  was  dragged  to  the  ground  and 
told  that  if  he  moved  an  inch  or  spoke  a  word,  he 
Avould  be  shot  instantly  dead. 

Holding  Stampes  thus  in  guard  the  robbers  next 
sought  for  Murray,  the  expressman  in  charge.  He 
had  for  a  moment  hidden  behind  some  trunks.  They 
rushed  for  the  door,  but  he  had  managed  to  slam  it 
to  and  bar  it.  Then  they  began  firing  at  the  door. 
Twelve  bullets  were  subsequently  found  in  the  door. 
One  went  through  the  door  and  grazed  Murray's 
shoulder.  Enraged  at  this  delay  they  by  the  means 
of  an  ax  burst  open  the  door,  yelling:     **  Where  is 

that r 

At  this  Murray  rose  from  among  the  trunks,  and 
said: 

"  Here  I  am,  what  do  you  want?" 

He  was  grabbed,  Avhirled  round  two  or  three  times, 
then  struck  with  the  butt  end  of  a  pistol  and  the  key 
of  the  safe  was  of  course  demanded  without  a  mo- 
ment's delay. 

Murray  says  that  during  their  search  of  the  safe, 
one  of  the  robbers  held  two  pistols  within  an  inch  of 


The  Last  Dark  Deeds  of  the  James  Gang.     291 

his  nose  and  his  right  temple  and  never  for  one  mo- 
ment took  his  awful  eye  off  him. 

The  leader  of  the  gang  then  pulled  out  a  sack  and 
put  all  the  money  he  could  find  into  it,  asking  the 
guarded  MuiTay  how  much  money  there  was.  Mur- 
ray said  he  did'nt  know. 

'*Then  you  ought  to  know,"  said  the  leader. 
^'  What  the  devil  do  you  do  here  in  charge,  without 
knowing?  Come,  now,  be  quick!  I  want  ail  you 
have,  every  cent!  And  if  you  give  me  any  more 
trouble,  I'll  kill  you,  by  God!" 

Murray  said,  "  You've  got  everything  but  those 
silver  bricks." 

"  Oh,  d — n  your  silver  bricks,"  was  the  rejoinder. 
''  You  might  as  well  give  up.  We  have  killed  your 
conductor  and  engineer,  and  we  are  going  to  kill 
you,  so  get  down  on  your  knees.  There  are  twelve 
men  in  this  gang,  and  we've  got  full  possession  of 
the  train. 

But  Murray  had  no  more  to  give  them,  and  so 
having  soundly  abused  him  and  struck  him  again 
with  the  revolver,  they  left  the  cars. 

It  was  no  part  of  their  purpose  to  rob  the  passen- 
gers. They  were  not  of  the  wealthy  sort ;  and  be- 
side the  time  wasted  in  going  through  a  whole  train, 
except  under  very  special  circumstances  largely  en- 
hances the  danger.  So  having  secured  all  the  safe 
contained,  they  escaped  to  the  woods  where  they 
left  their  horses. 

They  only  secured  $2,000  by  this  raid,and  that  divid- 
ed among  seven  would  not  be  a  large  fortune  for  each. 


CHAPTEE  XLI. 

B  tJRTHER  PARTICULARS  OF  THE  LAST  RAILWAY  ROB 

BERY. 

TESTIMONY  OF  EYE  WITNESSES — WERE  FRANK  AND  JESSE 

JAMES  AT  THE  HEAD? — OPINIONS  OF  SHERIFF 

CROSBY  AND  BILLY  PINKERTON— MR. 

HANKEL  OF  CHICAGO  AND  MAJOR 

SCOTT  ANTHONY  OF  DENVER 

INTERVIEWED. 

The  first  tidings  of  the  robbery  led  to  the  impres- 
sion that  of  course  the  James  boys  were  in  this  last 
outrage.  The  whole  affair  bore  their  private  trade- 
mark. But  further  evidence  leaves  no  other  con- 
clusion possible,  or  at  least  reasonable. 

Marcus  A.  Lowe,  attorney  of  the  railroad  and 
Sheriff  Brown  Crosby  of  Daviess  County  declare  un- 
hesitatingly that  they  have  every  sound  reason  for 
giving  the  following  as  the  list  of  the  robbers: 

Jesse  and  Frank  James,  Pope  Wells,  Jim  Cumx- 
mings,  Parmer,  a  brother-in-law  of  the  James  boys, 
Miller,  a  brother:  of  L.  Miller,  who  was  killed  in  Min- 
nesota, and  a  young  Samuels,  a  step-brother  of  the 
James  brothers. 

(292) 


fSome  Further  Partimilars,  293 

On  the  evening  of  the  16th  July,  forty-eight  hours 
after  the  robber}^  the  following  letter  was  found  on 
Dog  Creek  bridge,  but  a  short  distance  from  the  spot 
where  the  robbers  left  the  train  and  took  to  their 
horses. 

Kansas  City,  July  12, 1881. — Charley:  I  got  your 
letter  to-day,  and  was  glad  to  hear  you  had  got  every- 
thing ready  in  the  time  for  the  15th.  We  will  be  on 
hand  at  the  time.  Bill  will  be  with  me.  We  will  be 
on  the  train.  Don't  fear.  We  will  be  in  the  smoker 
at  Winston.  Have  the  horses  and  boys  in  good  fix 
for  the  feast.  We  will  make  this  joust  on  the  night 
of  the  16th  inst.  All  is  right  here.  Frank  will  meet 
us  at  Cameron.  Look  sharp  and  be  well  fixed.  Have 
the  horses  well  gaunted.  We  may  have  some  riding 
to  do  sometime.  Don't  get  excited,  but  keep  cool  till 
the  right  time.  Willco  (evidently  meant  for  Wilcott) 
will  be  on  the  engine.  I  think  it  best  to  send  this  to 
Kidder.     Yours  till  and  through  death.    Aleck. 

Mr.  William  Pinkerton  of  the  great  Chicago  De- 
tective Department  says: — 

"The  work  was  undoubtedly  done  by  Jesse  and 
Frank  James,  who  are  the  only  survivors  of  the 
famous  James  and  Younger  gang,  the  remainder 
being  dead  or  in  the  Penitentiary.  Jesse  James 
lives  in  Clay  County,  Missouri,  and  he  can  gather  a 
party  to  rob  a  train  in  Clay  County  in  about  two 
days'  time.  He  has  a  thorough  knowledge  of  the 
country,  and  if  need  be  will  be  secreted  by  the 
citizens  for  months  so  as  to  avoid   arrest. 

The  voluminous  testimony  of  those  who  were  on 


294        The  Life  of  Frank  and  Jesse  James, 

board  the  Rock  Island  train  that  July  night  make  it 
possible  to  give  a  more  detailed  and  accurate  account 
of  this  robbery  than  of  any  of  the  previous  raids. 
The  testimony  of  two  of  these  eye  witnesses  will 
suffice. 

Mr.  Frederick  Henkel  of  Chicago  most  obligingly 
gave  his  experience  in  answer  to  our  questions,  to 
the  following  effect:^— 

'•  I  think  that  it  was  about  twenty  minutes  past  9 
o'clock.  I  had  just  had  my  supper,  and  was  enjoy- 
ing a  cigar  in  the  smoking-car.  I  think  that  the 
station  is  Princeton,  Mo.,  where  we  had  our  supper, 
somewhere  between  Cameron  and  Winston  station. 
About  the  time  we  arrived  there  we  noticed  a  crowd 
of  rather  hard-looking  characters  about  the  station. 
They  were  together  in  groups  of  twos  and  threes. 
When  we  were  through  supper  they  yelled  'All 
aboard.'  The  first  we  knew  the  train  was  flying 
along  at  a  rapid  rate,  and  a  man,  very  large,  thick, 
heavy  set,  with  a  black  beard,  short  but  thick,  came 
in,  followed  by  a  couple  of  others.  He  was  dressed, 
as  far  as  I  could  notice,  in  a  linen  coat  and  a  straw 
hat,  and  the  other  parts  of  his  clothing  I  don't  recol- 
lect. The  trio  came  in  by  way  of  the  front  platform 
of  the  smoking-car,  and  one  of  them,  the  man  with 
the  black  beard,  had  a  revolver  cocked,  in  his  hand. 
He  muttered  something  and  commenced  to  fire  at  the 
conductor.  He  ran  out,  and  the  others  crowded  up 
to  him." 

*'  Which  way  did  the  conductor  run?" 

"  He  ran  towards  the  rear  platform  out  of  the 


Some  Further  Particulars.  295 

door,  where  I  heard  more  shooting.  We  all  ran  back 
to  the  sleeping-cars  where  we  belonged  and  threw 
ourselves  on  the  floor.  I  only  saw  the  gang  at  the 
station  while  they  were  in  knots,  and  I  should  sup- 
pose that  there  were  at  least  a  dozen  of  them.  I 
should  think  that  there  were  four  of  them  who  came 
into  the  smoking-car.  After  the  trouble  was  over 
we  found  the  conductor's  lantern  and  his  brains  on 
the  rear  platform." 

*'  Was  the  train  stopped?" 

"No,  we  were  on  a  stop  when  the  bandits  got  on. 
The  robbers  held  possession  of  the  train.  Three  of 
the  gang  jumped  on  the  engine,  and  with  cocked 
revolvers  compelled  the  engineer  and  fireman  to 
submit.  They  couldn't  do  anything  else.  They  were 
armed,  but  they  couldn't  get  a  chance  to  use  them. 
In  the  excitement  they  crept  away  from  their  cap- 
tors and  put  out  the  headlight.  They  also  put  the 
air-brakes  on  so  that  the  speed  was  slackened.  At 
Winston,  to  which  they  ran  the  train,  one  of  the 
brakemen  jumped  off  and  telegraphed  the  death  of 
the  conductor  and  the  stone  mason,  McMillan.  The 
jig  was  up  then,  and  the  robbers  ran  away 

"As  soon  as  the  train  was  in  possession  of  the 
robbers,  the  passengers  jumped  down  on  the  floor. 
Some  of  them  hid  under  the  seats.  You  see,  it  was 
unhealthy  to  be  upon  your  feet  at  that  time.  It 
rained  lead,  and  lead  diet  is  unhealthy.  There  were 
six  ladies  in  the  sleeper,  and  as  soon  as  they  heard 
the  shooting  they  just  dropped  on  the  floor  like  the 
other  passengers.     They  were  frightened,  but  they 


296        Tlie  Life  of  Frank  and  Jesse  James. 

showed  as  much  grit  as  the  men.  We  couldn't  show 
much,  for  not  one  of  us  had  a  revolver.  John  Mc- 
Millan was  killed  with  the  conductor.  I  think  that 
the  thieves  recognized  them  and  they  were  put  out 
of  the  way  on  that  account. 

''  I  think  that  the  express  messenger,  C.  H. 
Murray,  deserves  a  deal  of  credit  for  his  pluck. 
The  robbers  shouted  to  him  to  open  the  door  of  his 
car,  but  he  persistently  refused.  They  fired  thir- 
teen shots  at  him,  but  none  of  them  took  effect. 
When  they  did  break  in  they  found  liim  hidden  be- 
tween the  coal-box  and  a  sample  trunk.  They 
struck  him  twice  over  the  head  with  a  revolver,  but 
said  that  they  would  not  kill  him  because  of  his 
grit.  The  I'obbers  only  got  $000  in  money  and  a 
$1,000  bond.  There  was  a  large  amount  of  bullion 
in  the  safe,  but  it  was  too  heavy  for  the  robbers  to 
carry  away.  The  passengers  all  endeavored  to  hide 
away  their  watches  and  money.  One  of  them,  a 
Chicago  drummer,  put  his  valuables  in  the  Avater- 
cooler.  I  wrapped  mine  in  a  pocket-handkerchief, 
lifted  the  cover  of  a  spittoon,  laid  it  in,  and  put  the 
lid  on  again.  But  the  .passengers  were  not  molested. 
We  found  five  bullets  in  the  smoker  and  thirteen  in 
the  baggage-car." 

''  I  boarded  the  train  at  Atchison.  When  we 
stopped  at  Cameron,  Mo.  (a  point  eleven  miles  south- 
west of  Winston),  where  we  had  supper,  two  men 
got  on  and  took  seats  in  the  sleeping-car,  and  soon 
engaged  in  an  altercation  with  the  conductor  on  the 
subject  of  fare.     About  eleven  miles  this  side  of 


Some  Fitrther  Particulars.  297 

Cameron  (Winston),  several  more  passengers  got  in, 
and  tlie  conductor  made  the  remark  that  he  was 
afraid  there  was  agoing  to  be  trouble.  There  was 
something  in  the  manner  of  the  man  who  made  a 
fuss  about  the  fare,  he  said,  which  made  him  think 
that  mischief  was  brewing.  We  had  not  gone  three- 
quarters  of  a  mile  after  we  left  this  stoppage-place 
when  the  trouble  began.  Some  one  stepped  up  from 
the  platform  in  front  of  the  smoking-car  and  laid 
his  hand  on  Conductor  Westfall's  shoulder,  as  he 
was  standing  in  the  front  part  of  the  car,  and  said 
to  him,  'You  are  my  prisoner.'  The  conductor 
dodged  down  and  ran  further  into  the  car.  At  this 
time  there  were  already  three  armed  men  in  the  car, 
and  Avhen  the  one  who  had  spoken  to  the  conductor 
followed  him  in  there  were  four.  As  he  did  so  this 
one  fired  at  the  conductor  twice,  the  first  time  with 
the  revolver  which  he  held  in  his  right  hand.  The  ball 
struck  the  right  sleeve  of  the  conductor's  coat,  tear- 
ing it  from  a  little  above  the  wrist  to  past  the  elbow, 
where  it  entered  the  arm.  The  man  fired  the  other 
revolver,  and  the  conductor  turned  to  leave  the  car, 
and  when  he  reached  the  platform  some  one  else 
must  have  shot  him  in  the  back,  inflicting  a  wound 
from  which  he  died  in  about  twenty  minutes.  About 
the  time  this  happened  the  fireman,  seeing  that 
something  Avas  wrong,  said  to  the  engineer,  '  give 
her  hell,'  a  laconic  way  of  telling  him  to  get  up  all 
the  speed  he  could.  The  engineer  started  to  do  so, 
but  at  the  same  moment  three  men  arose  ^rom 
among  the   coals  in  the  tender  and  began  firing. 


398        Tlie  Life  of  Frank  and  Jesse  James. 

The  did  not  hit  either  the- engineer  or  the  fireman 
with  their  bullets,  but  one  of  them  struck  the  fire- 
man on  the  side  of  the  head  with  a  large  chunk  of 
coal.  They  then  left  the  engine-cab  and  climbed 
around  and  took  seats  on  the  cow-catclier,  while  the 
three  robbers  to  whom  had  been  intrusted  tlie  job  of 
capturing  the  engine  took  possession  of  it.  But  as 
they  did  this  the  gang  who  had  the  securing  of  the 
express-car  on  their  hands  attacked  it.  They  ob- 
tained admission  and  threatened  to  kill  the  messen- 
ger— Charley  Murray,  a  slight  and  lightly  built  man, 
weighing  perhaps  120  pounds— if  he  did  not  give  up 
his  keys.  He  did  as  they  requested  and  they  opened 
the  safe,  which  was  found  to  contain  $900  in  money, 
a  $1,000  bond,  and  a  quantity  of  silver  bullion.  They 
were  intensely  cliagrined  when  they  found  that  the 
safe  contained  so  little,  and  asked:  ^  Where  is  the 
rest  of  your  money,  G — d  d — n  you?'  Murray  an- 
nounced that  that  was  all  he  had  under  his  charge. 
They  insisted  that  he  must  produce  more,  to  which 
Murray  answered,  "You  can't  draw  blood  from  a 
turnip.' 

''  The  leader  of  the  seven  men  engaged  in  the  ex- 
press safe  robbery  said  savagely,  '  Well,  d — n  you, 
ril  draw  blood  from  you  then,'  at  the  same  time 
striking  him  a  blow  on  the  head  with  Jiis  revolver, 
Avhich  laid  Murray  out  senseless. 

"  I  have  no  doubt,"  Major  Anthony  added,  "that 
the  gang  fully  intended  to  go  througli  the  whole 
train.  The  first  man  who  entered  the  smoking-car 
and  who  fired  the  first  shots  at  the  conductor,  cried 


Some  Further  Particulars.  ^SS 

out '  hands  up '  as  he  advanced.  The  others  seemed 
taken  aback  at  the  large  number  of  people  they 
found  in  the  car,  and  looked  from  one  to  another 
and  hesitated.  The  one  who  had  entered  the  car 
looked  around  him  after  he  had  shot  a  couple  of 
times,  and  seemed  to  be  surprised  that  he  was  alone, 
and  then  backed  out  of  the  car,  waving  his  revolver 
as  he  did  so  to  keep  the  passengers  from  rising  upon 
him." 

*'The  passengers  were  considerably  scared,  were 

they  not?" 

"Yes.  I've  been  in  one  or  two  tight  places  be- 
fore, and  did  not  feel  particularly  scared.  I  was  in 
the  sleeper,  and  I  called  out  for  every  man  in  the 
car  to  get  his  weapon  and  prepare  to  do  his  duty. 
Not  a  soul,  however,  had  one  on  the  car.  Then 
began  the  fun.  It  was  amusing  to  see  the  fellows 
going  down  for  their  watches,  and  money,  and 
other  valuables,  and  hunting  for  places  to  hide  them 
in.  One  man,  who  seemed  in  an  agony  of  despair, 
called  out,  *They  can  have  all  the  money  I  own,'  at 
the  same  time  diving  under  a  seat.  All  sorts  of 
places  were  utilized  as  hiding-places  for  money,  etc. 
Men  pulled  off  their  boots  and  shoved  their  wads  or 
watches  into  them.  Spittoons  were  utilized  for  the 
same  purpose.  I  popped  my  money  into  the  pillow— 
a  pretty  safe  place,  I  think.  The  men  on  the  car 
were  terribly  frightened— much  more  so  than  the 
women.  The  idea  prevailed  that  the  robbers 
were  shooting  through  the  windows  at  the  pas- 
sengers, and  as  many  as  could  find   snug  refuge 


300        The  Life  of  Frank  and  Jesse  James. 

under  a  seat  stowed  themselves  there,  and  remained 
there  until  long  after  the  firing  was  over.  On  the 
other  hand,  not  a  woman  seemed  to  be  a  particle 
excited.  It  was  wonderful  how  coolly  they  took  it. 
They  now  and  then  asked  for  an  explanation  of 
what  was  going  on,  and  for  pretty  definite  informa- 
tion as  to  when  the  affair  was  likely  to  end;  but 
when,  naturally  enough,  they  found  their  curiosity 
could  not  be  satisfied,  they  remained  calmly  in  their 
seats  and  awaited  future  developments. 

*' There  was  one  great  danger  which  we  escaped, 
as  it  were,  by  a  miracle.  When  the  car  stopped,  it 
did  so  not  200  yards  in  front  of  a  high  trestle.  When 
the  robbers  had  command  of  the  locomotive  they 
urged  the  train  along  at  a  tremendous  rate  of  speed. 
Had  this  speed  been  kept  up  while  the  train  was 
running  along  the  trestle,  it  would,  so  railroad  men 
tell  me,  have  jumped  the  track  to  a  dead  certainty, 
and  have  become  a  total  wreck,  with  a  great  des- 
truction of  life.  Tiie  brakeman,  Cole,  however,  by 
his  opportune  opening  of  the  air-brake,  slacked  the 
train  up  and  averted  the  calamity. 

A  great  deal  has  been  said  concerning  this  last 
outrage.  The  public  journals  have  made  a  special 
point  of  writing  in  an  amusing  vein  of  the  timidity 
of  the  passengers,  who  could  be  so  completely  over- 
awed by  seven  men! 

Courage  in  an  editorial  sanctum  is  one  thing,  and 
courage  in  the  front  of  a  loaded  Smith  &  Wesson's 
revolver  is  another.  It  needs  no  stretch  of  imagin- 
ation to  understand  that  a  railway  train  thus  sud- 


Some  Further  Particulars.  301 

denly  boarded  by  men  who  have  the  reputation  of 
being  "the  very  deadest  of  dead  shots,"  is  not  the 
likeliest  place  for  coolness  and  presence  of  mind. 
And  even  the  boldest  editor 

"That's  cr6wing,    . 
Like  a  cockrill  three  months  old, 
If  he  saw  young  Jesse's  pistol, 
Would'st  be  so  blasted  bold! " 

Of  course  there  has  been  the  offering  of  a  large  re- 
ward, and  the  usual  diligent  search.  But  not  a  dol- 
lar has  been  returned,  nor  a  robber  arrested. 

Daring  and  defiant,  these  men  are  still  more  than 
a  match  for  the  detective  sagacity.  They  are  still 
the  untamed  and  perhaps,  so  far  as  the  leaders  are 
concerned,  the  untamable  Bandits  of  the  Border. 


CHAPTEE  XLII. 

ANOTHER  DARING  ROBBERY, 

G^'iENDALE    ONCE     MORE  I— THE     CHICAGO   AND     AT.  TON 
TRAIN  RAIDED — THE  HEROIC  CONDUCT  OF  CONDUC- 
TOR  HAZELBAKER — THE  AFFRIGHTED   PASSEN- 
GERS— THE    TESTIMONY    OF    EYE    WIT- 
NESSES— "  DRINK    TO    JESSE 
JAMEs!" — WHO  WERE 
THE  ROBBERS? 

The  robbery  recorded  in  the  last  chapter  had 
scarcely  ceased  to  be  the  topic  of  current  conversa- 
tion, before  there  swept  along  the  telegraph  wires 
the  story  of  another  raid.  On  a  pleasant  Autumn 
evening  twelve  masked  men  boarded  a  train  not  far 
from  Glendale,  and  in  an  incredibly  short  space  of 
time  robbed  the  express-van,  and  then  every  pas- 
senger on  board;  having  done  which  they  decamped 
as  mysteriously  and  as  silently  as  they  came. 

The  ill-fated  train  left  Chicago  on  Tuesday  morn- 
ing, September  the  6th,  1881,  in  charge  of  Conductor 
Hazelbaker.  The  passenger  cars  were  well  filled, 
and  the  Pullman  had  rather  more  than  its  usual  load 
of  ladies  and  gentlemen.     All  went  well  till  about 

(302) 


Another  Daring  Rohh^ry.  303 

9  o'clock  on  the  following  evening.  It  will  be  read- 
ily understood  that  on  entering  the  region  that  had 
been  so  famous  for  these  daring  raids  the  conversa- 
tion would  be  like  enough  to  turn  on  these  robbers 
of  the  road.  But  no  fear  or  timidity  was  at  all 
manifest.  It  was  a  lovely  night.  The  September 
moon  was  shining  full  and  fair,  and  a  company  of 
young  Englishmen  who  were  on  a  tour  of  pleasure, 
standing  on  the  back  platform  of  the  Pullman  car, 
beguiled  the  weary  journey  by  singing  one  of  those 
pleasant  ditties  that  reminded  them  of  the  land  they 
had  left  in  the  far  away  east.  There  were  four  of 
them,  and  they  sang  in  exquisite  taste — 
''Come  out,  'tis  now  September, 

The  hunter's  moon's  begun, 
And  through  the  wheat  and  stubbl© 

Is  heard  the  distant  gun. 
The  leaves  are  paling  yellow. 

And  trembling  into  red, 
And  the  free  and  happy  barley 

Is  hanging  down  its  head." 

It  was  now  9  o'clock,  the  train  was  sweeping  along 
in  the  region  of  Glendale — where  the  famous  rob- 
bery of  1870  took  place,  when  Jesse  James  led 
the  robber  band— the  ladies  in  the  Pullman  car 
were ''about  to  retire  for  the  night,  when  suddenly 
the  train  was  brought  to  a  stand  still  in  a  deep  cut, 
where  the  Missouri  Pacific  crosses  the  track  of  the 
Chicago  &  Alton  line,  about  three  miles  east  of  In- 
dependence. The  train  was  immediately  boarded 
by  twelve  men  all  masked.  Boarded!  It  might 
rather  be  said  that  they  dashed  on  like  a  pack  of 


304:        The  Life  of  Frank  and  Jesse  James. 

wild  tigers,  yelling  and  cursing,  as  though  they  had 
just  been  let  loose  from  Pandemonium.  The  engi- 
neer, L.  Foote,  whose  story  is  by  all  odds  the  most 
intelligible  account  of  tlie  whole  affair,  and  whose 
testimony  will  be  found  in  detail  furtlier  on — was 
ordered  on  pain  of  death  to  step  down  from  his  en- 
gine. He,  in  company  with  John  Steading,  his  fire- 
man, obeyed.  At  the  point  of  a  well-loaded  revol- 
ver, Foote  was  made  to  take  a  coal  pick  from  his 
engine  and  break  down  the  door  of  the  express-car. 
Fox,  the  express  messenger,  scenting  danger  the 
moment  the  train  stopped,  had  hidden  himself  in 
the  weeds  near  the  line,  but  was  induced  to  re-ap- 
pear on  hearing  the  vagabonds  swear  with  awful 
oaths  that  if  the  express  messenger  did  not  turn  up 
they  would  shoot  Foote  and  Steading  as  dead  as 
rats  I  The  engineer  and  fireman  were  covered  by 
four  loaded  revolvers,  while  others  of  the  gang- 
were  going  through  the  express-van;  and  because 
they  thought  Fox  a  little  dilatory  in  his  movements, 
they  belabored  his  head  with  the  butt  end  of  a  pis- 
tol. The  leader  wore  a  white  cloth  over  his  face, 
with  holes  in  it.  He  swore  a  great  deal.  And  the 
whole  gang  seemed  to  be  annoyed  that  there  was 
only  some  $25,000  to  be  secured.  This,  of  course, 
was  poured  into  a  sack  after  the  invariable  custom, 
and  most  securely  guarded.  The  engineer  and  fire- 
man were  held  as  prisoners  till  the  work  was  done. 
Meantime  others  of  the  raiders  had  entered  the 
train,  and  swearing  and  swaggering  and  firing  off 
their  revolvers,  declared  :     *'  We  are  coming  in  and 


Another  Daring  Robbery,  305 

going  through  you  all,  so  d — n  you  be  quick  and  hold 
up  your  hands!'* 

Hazeibaker,  the  Conductor  and  Burton  the  brake- 
rnan  divined  from  the  moment  the  train  began  to 
slack  that  there  was  mischief  and  they  went  through 
the  cars  warning  the  passengers  and  begging  them 
as  they  valued  their  lives  to  keep  quiet.  Having 
done  this,  these  two  brave  men  did  a  deed  that  for 
true  daring  and  bravery,  deserves  not  only  to  be 
chronicled  here,  but  to  be  remembered  gratefully  by 
every  passenger  on  that  ill-fated  train,  to  say  noth- 
ing of  the  company  they  so  faithfully  served.  The 
freight-train  was  following  fast  and  Hazeibaker  and 
Burton  both  knew  that  if  the  train  was  not  flagged 
the  chances  were  that  the  passenger  train  would  be 
wrecked  with  an  awful  loss  of  life. 

So  through  a  drizzling  rain  of  shot  and  at  the  im- 
minent peril  of  their  lives,  these  brave  men  went  and 
flagged  the  fast  following  freight  train. 

But  Hazeibaker  tells  the  story  best  himself.  In 
response  to  one  or  two  questions  he  replies: — 

"  When  I  reached  the  sleeper  I  told  Burton,  my 
brakeman,  to  flag  the  train  following.  I  knew  there 
was  a  freight  right  after  me,  and  would  wreck  my 
train,  and  I  knew  that  that  train  must  be  stopped. 
Burton  said  he  did  not  like  to  go,  but  the  brave  fellow 
went  just  the  same.  We  dropped  off  together,  and 
tney  began  to  fire  at  us.  Shots  whistled  all  around 
us.  I  think  there  were  probably  twenty  shots  tired 
at  us  altogether.  We  finally  succeeded  in  flagging 
the  freight-train  just  in  time,  and  1  went  back,  and, 


306         The  Life  of  Frank  and  Jesse  James. 

climbing  aboard  the  sleeper,  took  a  back  seat  and 
waited  quietly  to  be  robbed." 

Hazelbaker  further  says  that  the  gang  swore  a 
great  deal  and  seemed  to  centre  all  their  wrath  on 
him.  Threatening  his  life  if  he  continued  to  run 
on  that  line.  The  leader  who  said  he  was  Jesse 
James  put  a  pistol  under  the  nose  of  the  conductor 
and  said: 

''  D n  you  smell  of  that,  that's  the  pistol  I  shot 

Westfall  with  at  Winston!  " 

The  robbers  were  greatly  incensed  because  the 
Governor  of  Missouri  had  offered  a  reward  for  their 
capture.  And  one  of  the  masked  men  threatened 
with  many  an  oath : 

"  Now  listen  you ,  the  next  reward  that's  of- 
fered we'll  burn  your  d — d  train  and  don't  you  for- 
get it!  We  will  cut  the  Pullman  loose  and  save  it, 
because  Pullman  is  white,  and  never  offered  a  re- 
ward, but  we  will  make  a  bonfire  of  your  train  as 
sure  as  you  live." 

In  answer  to  further  questions  Hazelbaker  said: — 

*^  From  their  talk  it  appeared  that  the  robbery  was 
a  piece  of  dare-deviltry  in  revenge  for  the  Winston 
reward  being  offered.  They  constantly  shoved 
pistols  under  my  nose,  and  reminded  me  of  West- 
fall's  fate.  After  they  left  we  pulled  out,  and  as 
quick  as  we  could." 

"  How  many  were  there?" 

*'  There  were  six  in  the  sleeper  and  four  or  five 
outside." 

''  Did  they  expose  themselves?" 


Another  Daring  Robbery.  30? 

"  Not  at  all!  I  could  see  their  forms,  but  absolute- 
ly nothing  of  their  features.  The  leader,  supposed 
to  be  Jesse  James,  had  on  a  white  muslin  cloth  with 
holes  cut  in  it  around  his  head,  as  if  he  had  made  a 
mask  of  a  handkerchief.  The  others  wore  masks  of 
dirty  cloth  or  calico.  They  were  all  slender  men 
except  the  leader,  who  was  a  tall,  well-built  man." 

*'  Could  you  identify  any  of  them?  " 

"  No,  and  there  lies  the  trouble." 

"  How  much  money  do  you  suppose  they  got?" 

"  I  could  not  tell.  They  took  from  each  passenger 
between  $1  and  $300,  and  maybe  got  a  couple  of 
thousand.  I  don't  know  how  much  was  in  the  ex- 
press car." 

It  is  believed  that  the  robbers  secured  from  the  ex- 
press van  some  $2,500,  and  from  the  passengers  in 
money  about  $4,000,  and  in  jewelry,  in  gold  watches 
and  diamond  ear-rings  and  broaches  and  the  like, 
they  secured  what  would  aggregate  a  sum  not  far 
short  of  $12,000  to  $15,000. 

The  conductor  managed  to  hide  most  of  his  money 
and  jewelry  successfully,  but  poor  Fox  was  not  as 
fortunate.  In  describing  his  experience  after  the 
gang  had  ransacked  the  safe  he  says: — 

"  When  they  had  robbed  the  safe  of  everything. 
I  ran  back  into  the  smoking-car  and  hid  most  of  my 
money.  The  robbers  came  in  and  ordered  me,  with 
an  oath,  to  lie  down.  I  did  so,  and  they  shoved  a 
gun  up  to  my  head  and  told  me  to  fork  over.  I 
said  my  money  was  under  the  cushion.  They  told 
me  to  get  it,  and  I  got  it  in  a  hurry,  you  bet.     It  was 


308        Tlie  Life  of  Frank  and  Jesse  James. 

somewhere  in  the  neighborhond  of  fifteen  dollars.'' 

For  the  most  part  the  passengers  yielded  to  the 
demands  of  the  robbers  without  a  Avord  of  remons- 
trance. One  lady  in  the  sleeper  fainted  under  the 
influence  of  terror,  and  one  of  the  gang  threw  a 
glass  full  of  water  in  her  face  and  told  her  she  had 
nothing  to  be  afraid  of,  all  she  had  to  do  was  to  ''fork 
out!" 

The  work  accomplished,  the  robbers  departed  as 
speedily  and  as  strangely  as  they  came.  No  narra- 
tive of  this  robbery  would  be  complete  that  did  not 
incorporate  the  testimony  of  engineer  Foote.  His 
testimony  is  therefore  inserted  at  this  point.  When 
asked  to  tell  the  story  of  that  eventful  night  he  pro- 
ceeded as  follows: — 

''Between  three  and  four  miles  east  of  Indepen- 
dence is  a  deep  cut,  over  which  the  Missouri  Pacific 
track  crosses  the  Chicago  &  Alton,  and  it  was  just 
before  entering  the  deepest  part  of  this  cut  that  I 
saw  a  pile  of  stones,  probably  five  feet  high,  on  the 
top  of  which  was  a  stick,  to  which  was  attached  a 
red  rag,  and  behind  the  whole  stood  the  leader  of 
the  robbers.  Of  course  1  stopped.  T  was  then  ap- 
proached by  four  of  the  gang,  besides  the  leader, 
who  said,  '  Step  down  off  that  engine,  and  do  as  I 
tell  you,  or  I  will  kill  you.'  He  then  told  me  to  get 
the  coal  pick,  which  I  did,  after  some  parleying, 
but  as  a  revolver  was  pointed  at  my  head  I  could 
not  refuse  to  obey. 

"They  then  marched  myself  and  John  Steading, 
the  fireman,  to  the  express  car,  and  ordered  me  to 


Another-  Daring  Robbery.  309 

oreak  the  door  down,  which  I  did.  Messenger  Fox 
h^,d  hidden  in  the  weeds  by  the  roadside,  but  they 
swore  they  would  kill  me  if  he  didn't  come  out,  and 
so  I  called  for  him  and  he  entered  the  car  with  two 
of  the  robbers,  who  forced  him  to  open  the  safe  and 
pour  its  contents  into  a  sack." 

"  They  were  disappointed  at  not  getting  more  booty, 
and  knocked  Fox  down  twice  with  the  butt  end  of 
a  navy  revolver,  cutting  his  head  in  a  fearful  man- 
ner. They  then  marched  us  to  the  coaches,  where 
they  kept  us  covered  with  revolvers  while  they  rob- 
bed the  passengers.  After  the  last  car  was  gone 
through  they  marched  us  back  to  the  engine,  when 
the  leader  said  :  '  Now,  get  back  there.  We  will 
remove  the  stones.  You  have  been  a  bully  boy,  and 
here  is  a  little  present  for  you,'  and  he  handed  me 
two  silver  dollars.  I  told  them  I  would  remove  the 
obstructions,  and  the  entire  gang  skipped  over  the 
embankment,  and  were  out  of  sight  in  a  twinkling." 

"In  going  through  the  passengers,  each  one  was 
made  to  hold  up  his  hands,  and  what  was  taken 
from  them  was  put  into  a  two-bushel  sack,  which 
was  nearly  full  of  watches,  money,  and  other  val- 
uables.    They  didn't  take  anything  from  me." 

''The  train  was  stopped  only  a  car-length  off.  When 
I  came  back  one  of  the  robbers  said  :  '  Have  you 
lost  anything?'  I  answered:  'Fifty  cents.'  He 
gave  me  $1.50  for  interest.  Then  I  heard  one  of  the 
robbers  say  to  the  engineer  :  '  Choppy  Foote,  you  re 
too  good  a  man  to  keep  up  this  business  ;  here's  $2 
to  buy  a  drink   in  the   morning,  and  drink  it  for 


310        The  Life  of  Frank  and  Jesse  James, 

• 

Jesse  James.  I  warn  you  you'll  be  killed  if  you 
don't  leave  this  road.  We  are  going  to  tear  up  and{ 
burst  the  Alton  and  Rock  Island  roads,  for  they 
have  been  offering  rewards  for  us.  We've  no  grudge 
against  the  Pullmans,  and  will  switch  off  their  cars 
and  burn  all  the  rest.  I  am  the  man  who  killed 
Westlake  at  Winston.  He  was  too  smart  and  drew 
a  revolver.'  " 

The  question  arises,  "who  were  these  robbers?'' 
The  leader  whoever  he  was  assumed  to  be  Jesse 
James.  Some  imagined  that  if  he  had  been  Jesse 
in  reality  he  would  never  have  given  his  name.  But 
have  we  not  seen  over  and  over  again  in  these  pages 
how  Jesse  and  Frank  were  capable  of  the  strangest 
as  well  as  the  most  daring  courses.  They  would  join 
a  posse  in  search  of  themselves  with  the  utmost- 
glee.  The  general  opinion  is  that  the  gang  was 
headed  by  Jesse  James,  and  if  ''Choppy  Foote"  did 
drink  to  Jesse  James  the  next  day  with  the  $2  pro- 
vided by  the  very  considerate  robbers  for  that  laud- 
able purpose,  maybe  he  did  not  drink  to  the  wrong 
man. 

It  has  been  affirmed  by  a  gentleman  of  repute  that 
Jesse  was  seen  not  far  from  Kearney  three  days  be- 
fore the  robbery.  Mrs.  Samuels,  the  mother  of  the 
boys,  being  interviewed  answered  with  a  wicked, 
satirical  leer: 

''  How  could  Jesse  be  there?  Don't  you  know  that 
George  Shepherd  killed  him?  How  could  a  dead 
boy  rob  a  train?    I'm  surprised  at  you  !" 

The  Missourians  rose  in  anger  at  this  last  outrage 


Another  Daring  Robbery.  311 

A  posse  of  J300  men  started  in  pursuit,  and  they  have 
not  utterly  failed.  Nine  out  of  twelve  of  the  robbers 
are  supposed  to  have  been  captured,  and  are  now 
behind  the  prison  bars.  Matt  Chapman,  the  first  of 
the  gang  arrested,  is  said  to  have  given  the  whole 
crowd  away. 

On  the  other  hand  an  ex-official,  who  evidently 
knows  more  than  he  cares  to  tell,  avers  that  these 
arrests  will  all  end  in  a  screaming  farce,  and  that 
the  old  birds  are  snug  enough  in  their  hidden  nests 
enjoying  the  spoils  of  their  latest  fray. 

Marshal  Murphy  and  Whig  Keshlead  have  done 
most  of  the  arresting,  and  it  is  said  that  they  came 
within  an  ace  of  capturing  Ed.  Miller,  a  brother  of 
Clell  Miller,  who  was  shot  in  the  Northfield  raid.  If 
Ed.  Miller  is  indeed  caught  it  will  look  as  if  the  pur- 
suers are  on  the  right  track.  Chapman,  Andy  Ryan 
and  Fisk  are  caught.  Chapman  was  caught  in  a 
billiard  saloon.  When  Ed.  Miller  and  Little  Dick 
are  caught  then  will  be  a  good  time  to  go  in  search 
of  J  esse  James. 


CHAPTER    LXIII. 
A    SUDDE!T    TURN    OF    FORTUNE'S   WHEEL 

HJGHT  ON  THE   BLUE  CUT  ROBBERY — THE  WHOLE  GANt 
GIVEN  AWAY   BY  A  CONFEDERATE — JOHN   LAND'S 
CONFESSION — GOVERNOR  CRITTENDEN   RE- 
SOLVED TO  RID  MISSOURI  OF  THE  BAN- 
DITS—SECRECY   AND    SILENCE. 

The  pitcher  goes  often  to  the  fountain,  but  it  is 
broken  at  last.  The  longest  lane  comes  to  an  ab- 
rupt and  unexpected  turning.  The  wild  career  oi" 
the  James  Brothers  has  gone  on  unchecked  so  long, 
tiiat  there  is  no  wonder  that  many  regarded  then* 
as  invincible  if  not  invulnerable!  They  seemed  to 
bear  a  charmed  life.  And  though  the^^  were  scarred 
and  wounded,  and  bullet-laden,  they  lived  on  defi- 
antly as  if  they  dared  fate  to  the  uttermost.  But 
fortune  is  a  fickle  jade.  She  turns  her  mystic  wheel 
with  a  capricious  hand.  She  smiles  to-da)"  with  lit- 
tle cause  for  smiling  and  the  next  day  frowns  with- 
out any  cause  at  all.  The  fabled  Nemesis  waits  long 
and  patiently  by  the  wayside,  but  at  last  vengeance 
wakes,  and  doom  comes  swift  as  lightning  and 
awful  as  death. 


Light  on  the  f'hic  Out  TU>bl)pnj.  11  ;J 

Jesse  James  bad  had  his  day,  and  an  awful  day  it 
'had  been.  Born  in  1845,  we  find  him  in  1862  an  en- 
thusiastic follower  of  Quantrell's  black  flag  that 
carried  danger  and  death  in  every  breath  of  its  som- 
bre folds.  For  twenty  years  Jesse,  the  Ishmael  of 
Missouri,  had  had  his  liand  against  every  man,  and 
every  man's  hand  against  him.  How  many  awful 
murders  were  on  his  head  it  would  be  difficult  to 
tell,  probably  the  murderer  did  not  know  himself. 
His  sun  was  destined  to  set  suddenly  not  in  ^^eace 
and  calm,  but  in  tragedy  and  blood. 

In  September,  1881,  occurred  the  daring  robbery  of 
the  Chicago  &  Alton  train,  recorded  in  our  last  chap- 
ter. The  question  as  to  Jesse  James's  share  in  that 
terrible  raid  was  for  a  long  time  an  open  question. 
The  leader  of  that  daring  onslaught  assumed  to  be 
Jesse  James.  It  was  said  that  if  Jesse  had  reall}^ 
been  there,  he  would  never  have  given  himself  away 
in  such  a  rash  and  heedless  manner.  And  yet,  these 
pages  reveal  that  there  was  hardly  any  limit  to  tlie 
daring  of  these  outlawed  brothers.  And  not  a  few 
suggested  that  this  very  method  was  hit  upon  in  or- 
der to  bluff  off  any  too  minute  and  careful  enqui- 
ries. It  is  now  clear  beyond  all  question,  that  Jesse 
was  the  leader  of  the  Blue  Cut  raid.  The  coun- 
try was  scoured  for  miles  around  after  that  eventful 
September  night,  and  the  vigilant  search  made  by 
over  two  hundred  men  resulted  in  the  capture  of 
nine  out  of  twelve  of  the  gang.  The  old  adage 
about  '"honor  amongst  thieves"  must  henceforth  be 
taken  with  a  grain  of  saPt.    The  idle  boast  that  there 


114  The  Life  of  Frank  and  Jesse  James, 

is  a  very  sacred  code  of  lionor  amongst  thieves,  and 
gamblers,  and  blacklegs,  to  which  they  always  yield 
a  very  loyal  allegiance  is  played  out.  These  gallant 
braves,  who  are  so  heroic  with  loaded  revolvers  in 
the  presence  of  unarmed,  defenceless  men  and 
women,  only  need  to  be  handcuffed  and  put  behind 
the  bars,  and  they  will  then  squeal  for  all  they  are 
worth.  Their  robber  s  code  of  honor  goes  for  noth- 
ing, when  their  precious  necks  are  in  danger.  They 
swallow  all  their  oaths  and  pledges  sworn  in  blood, 
and  become  wonderfully  enamored  of  the  gi-eat  prin- 
ciple that  "preservation  is  the  first  great  law  of  na- 
ture." All  this  is  most  natural;  and  no  other  course 
can  be  reasonably  expected.  But  all  this  talk  of 
"honor  among  thieves"  and  "dying  game,"  is  so 
much  nonsense  and  buncombe. 

On  the  27th  of  March,  1882,  John  Bugler,  one  of 
the  Cracker  s  Neck  citizens  involved  in  the  Blue  Cut 
robbery,  was  arraigned  at  Independence,  Mo.  Bug- 
lers case  was  called,  but  it  had  transpired  that  John 
Land,  who  was  also  under  indictment,  had  made  a 
full  confession,  and  had  given  the  entire  gang  away. 
It  had  been  suspected  for  some  time  that  Land  had 
squealed,  but  his  secret  was  well  kept.  His  testi- 
mony was  most  minute  and  explicit.  He  said  that 
at  least  ten  days  before  the  robbery  he  had  been  in- 
terviewed by  Creed  Chapman  and  John  Bugler.  v»'ho 
told  him  that  Jesse  James  and  Jim  Cummins  had 
put  up  a  job  to  rob  the  Chicago  &  Alton  Express 
train  at  Blue  Cut,  and  ther  invited  him  to  take  a 
part.     He  claims  that  he  refused  for  some  time  to 


The  Gang  Given  Away,  315 

hsiVz'  anything  whatever  to  do  with  the  rohbery. 
But  at  last,  when  he  came  into  personal  contact 
with  Jesse  James,  he  was  so  cliarmed  by  that  lead- 
ers persuasive  arguments,  or  so  afraid  of  him,  that 
he  resolved  to  throw  in  his  lot  with  the  adventurous 
band.  He  says  that  Jesse  James  averred  that  he 
had  come  into  possession  of  news,  on  Avhich  he  could 
rely,  that  on  the  night  of  the  7th  of  September  the 
Kansas  City  Banks  would  receive  large  sums  of 
money  by  the  Chicago  &  St.  Louis  Express,  and 
therefore  that  train  was  selected. 

On  the  evening  of  tlie  robbery  the  party,  consist- 
ing of,  Jesse  James,  Dick  Little,  and  the  old  gang, 
John  Bugler,  Creed  Chapman,  John  Mott,  and 
Henry  Bugler,  who  met  in  a  wild  spot  near  Glendale 
station,  and  perfected  the  plans  for  stopping  the 
train.  John  Mott  was  at  that  time  agent  at  Glen- 
dale station,  and  he  furnished  a  lantern  and  red  flag 
to  signal  the  train.  Land  took  the  lantern  and 
stopped  the  train,  and  while  Jesse  James  and  Dick 
Little  robbed  the  express  car,  the  others  of  the  party 
robbed  the  passengers.  A  mistake  was  made  in  re- 
gard to  the  shipment  of  money,  as  $600  was  all  that 
the  express  safe  yielded.  The  amount  taken  from 
the  passengers,  however,  aggregated  something 
over  $15,000.  As  soon  as  the  robbery  was  commit- 
ted the  gang  repaired  to  an  old  house  in  Cracker 
Neck  forest,  and  there  made  a  partial  division  of 
the  money,  but  pursuit  being  organized  so  soon 
after,  Jesse  James  took  possession  of  all  the  money 
and  valuables  and  with  the  members  of  his  gang 


316  The  Life  of  Frank  and  Jesse  James. 

fled  to  Clay  county^  advising  the  Cracker  Neck  boys 
to  go  about  their  business  and  assist  the  officers  in 
the  search,  promising  to  make  an  equal  division  of 
the  money  and  at  some  convenient  time  return  and 
pay  each  party  his  respective  share.  This  part  of 
the  programme  was,  however,  never  carried  out, 
and  none  of  the  natives  ever  received  any  dividend. 
Land,  Bugler,  and  Chapman  were  arrested  threo 
days  after  the  robbery,  and  have  been  in  jaii  ever 
since. 

This  confession  on  the  part  of  John  Land,  sets  at 
rest  forever  the  question  of  the  identity  of  the  Blue 
Cut  robbers. 

The  universal  abomination  of  these  cruel  and  law 
less   raids   was   manifest   in   the   way  in  which  the 
whole   neighborhood   set  to   work  to  hunt  the  rob 
bers. 

But  secretly  and  unknown  Governor  Crittenden 
was  working  to  bring  the  Avhole  band  within  the 
reach  of  the  law.  From  that  fatal  night  in  July, 
1881,  when  John  Westfaii  was  killed  on  the  Chicago, 
Rock  Island  &  Pacific  train,  near  the  old  battle 
ground  of  G  lendale,  the  Governor  was  resolved  to 
leave  no  stone  unturned  to  put  an  end  to  these  wild 
raids.  Missouri  had  grown  heartily  sick  of  its  un- 
enviable fame.  The  public  journals  of  other  States 
were  casting  serious  reflections  on  the  Missouriaus, 
as  though  foi-sooth  the/  were  almost  conniving  at 
these  robberies.  .  The  public  journals  are  sometimes 
*^a  little  too  previous."  It  is  so  easy  for  everybody 
to  manage  the  devil  but  those  wh^  are  possessed  of 


Large  Reward  Offered,  317 

him.  And  the  capture  of  Jesse  or  Frank,  or  any  of 
their  compeers,  was  scarcely  a  holiday  amusement. 
The  reputation  of  Jesse  as  a  ^'dead  shot"  was  such 
that  most  men  would  have  preferred  going  round  a 
block  rather  than  meet  him  in  an  angry  mood.  The 
very  sight  of  him  struck  terror  into  men  and  women 
who  \vere  by  no  means  cowards.  Jesse  said  him- 
self, on  one  occasion,  to  a  bosom  friend,  that  he 
could  stop  a  coach  as  easily  with  a  corn-cob  as  with 
a  revolver.  And  no  doubt  he  was  speaking  the 
truth. 

Governor  Crittenden  was  resolved  to  rid  Missouri 
of  Jesse  if  it  was  possible,  so  all  through  the  sum- 
mer time  he  was  quietly  and  secretly  working.  He 
felt  that  it  was  an  outrage  to  think  that  a  whole 
State,  with  all  the  force  of  law  at  its  back,  should  be 
baffled  and  defied  by  a  handful  of  lawless  men.  The 
one  difficulty  was  a  very  practical  one.  There  had 
never  been  offered  a  reward  large  enough.  It  was 
necessary  that  $50,000,  at  least,  should  be  awarded. 
Governor  Crittenden  made  an  appeal  to  those  Rail- 
way and  Express  Companies  so  deeply  interested  on 
financial  grounds. 

The  appeal  was  very  heartily  and  very  promptly 
responded  to.  The  money  was  quickly  subscribed. 
The  amount  pledged  was  $50,000.  The  Chicago  & 
Rock  Island,  Chicago  &  Alton,  Burlington,  Wabash 
&;  Missouri  Pacific  each  pledged  $5,000.  The  ex- 
press companies  also  made  liberal  donations.  These 
companies  had  all  suffered  by  the  depredations  of 
the    Missouri  banditti.      It  was    conditioned    that 


318  The  Life  of  Frank  and  Jesse  James. 

$10,000  should  be  offered  for  each  of  the  James  boys 
and  $5000  for  each  of  the  other  designated  outlaws, 
f*he  Governor  being  authorized  to  draw  on  the  rail- 
road companies  for  specified  installments  as  fast  as 
Kieeded.  Two  installments  have  already  been 
drawn  and  disbursed.  The  railroad  officials  say 
that  the  installment  covering  the  case  of  Jesse 
James  will  be  paid  with  "promptness  and  dis- 
patch." 

All  the  while  silence  was  kept.  The  operations 
for  the  capture  of  Jesse  James  were  carried  on  in 
secret,  and  the  secret  was  well  kept.  The  net  was 
gradually  gathering  round  Jesse  James.  His  days 
were  numbered.  His  head,  throbbing  with  new 
plots  of  robbery  and  murder,  or  silent  and  motion* 
less  in  death  was  now  worth  $50,000  to  whomsoever 
'iJiA  the  hardihood  aud  daring  to  secure  it. 


CHAPTER    LXIV. 
'     THE    PLOT    THICKENS. 

GOVERNOR  CRITTENDEN  IN  EARNEST — THE  MYSTERIOUS 
WOMAN  —  DICK    LITTLE    SURRENDERS  —  HIS 

CONFESSION  —  Jesse's  quiet  life  at 

ST.  JOSEPH — LAST  VISIT  HOME 


On  Saturday  morning,  April  1st,  1882,  Governor 
Crittenden  was  interviewed  in  respect  to  the  James 
Gang. 

*'  Do  you  think  you  are  at  last  on  the  track  of  Jesse 
James  and  his  Gang?"  was  the  question  proposed. 

*'I  do,"  replied  the  Governor,  *'and  I  will  capture 
him  —  dead  or  alive.  He  may  rest  assured  of  that. 
He  is  an  extraordinary  man  in  his  line,  and  would 
have  made  a  valuable  man  to  society  had  he  chosen 
an  honest  life.  He  is  a  natural-born  leader  of  men. 
In  this  instance  he  is  like  many  bad  men,  but  ] 
think  his  career  is  about  ended.  His  old  friends  are 
leaving  him,  as  his  association  is  dangerous  to  theii 
liberties.  The  big  reward  I  offered  for  Frank  ana' 
Jesse  has  had  a  happy  effect.     The  cupidity  of  man 


330  Tlie  Ijife  of  Frank  and  Jesse  James. 

is  only  equaled  by  the  force  of  the  'root  of  all  e>«r 
—  money.  Remember  what  I  say,  I  will  sooner  or 
later  capture  these  gentlemen  of  the  pistol  and  the 
brush.  They  have  about  completed  their  bloody 
circle."  • 

The  Ford  boys  had  been  long  and  skiJlfully  at 
work.  As  far  back  as  November,  1881,  they  had 
been  quietly  gaining  upon  the  confidence  of  the  man 
whose  life  it  was  their  business  to  watch,  and  take, 
rather  than  Jesse  should  escape. 

But  an  event  transpired  on  the  16th  of  February, 
1882,  that  must  be  chronicled  here.  Governor  Crit- 
tenden was  in  his  office  at  the  Capitol,  in  Jefferson 
City,  in  conversation  with  a  friend.  Their  talk 
drifted  from  President  Arthur  and  his  Cabinet  and 
the  general  affairs  of  the  nation  to  more  local  topics, 
and  very  naturally,  to  the  one  question  in  which  the 
Governor  had  growth  most  interested. 

**Are  3^ou  satisfied  with  your  efforts  in  the  direc- 
tion of  suppression?"  asked  the  Governor's  friend. 

"Well,  I  have  good  reason  to  be,  I  think,"  re- 
sponded the  Governor.  "I  think  the  result  shows 
good  work.  Two  in  the  penitentiary  for  twenty-five 
years  each,  two  in  coffins,  five  in  jail  in  Indepen- 
dence on  their  way  to  the  penitentiary,  two  more 
under  the  control  of  the  officers  of  the  law,  leaving 
only  the  old  leaders,  Frank  and  Jesse  James,  both  of 
whom,  I  hope,  will  soon  be  beyond  the  limits  of  their 
own  freedom." 

Here  the  conversation  ended,  and  soon  the  Gover- 
Qor  was  left  alone  to  his  official  duties.     But  he  was 


Tha  Mysterious   iroman.  331 

called  again  from  his  tasks  and  this  time  it  was  by  a 
thickly  veiled  lady  who  had  a  number  of  strange 
questions  to  ask  as  to  the  conditions  on  which  an 
outlaw  might  surrender  himself  to  justice  with  some 
hope  of  safety.  But  the  Governor  shall  tell  the  story 
in  his  own  words: 

"On  the  16th  of  February,  a  mysterious  woman 
appeared  at  my  office  and  asked  me  upon  what  terms 
an  outlaw  could  surrender,  I  said  it  was  owing  to 
the  man.  Frank  nor  Jesse  James  could  surrender 
under  no  assurances  of  immunity  from  punishment. 
If  any  others  of  the  gang  came  in  with  an  honest 
intention  of  abandoning  their  nefarious  life,  and 
with  a  full  determination  to  assist  the  law  officers  in 
capturing  Jesse  and  Frank  James,  ready  at  all  times 
to  go  in  pursuit  of  them,  and,  if  necessary,  die  in 
the  effort  to  capture  them,  he  could  come  in,  and  I 
would  use  my  influence  for  his  protection  ;  but  not 
until  I  was  fully  convinced  of  the  sincerity  and 
honesty  of  his  intentions  —  no  reservations  in  behalf 
of  any  old  friend,  sympathizer,  or  actor." 

But  who  was  this  mysterious  woman  ?  And  for 
whom  did  she  plead? 

Rumor  with  tongue  as  inventive  as  it  is  busy, 
spread  the  report  that  this  mysterious  woman  was 
none  other  than  Mattie  Collins,  the  alleged  wife  of 
Dick  Little,  the  well-known  accomplice  of  Jesse 
J  ames.  This,  how^ever.  Governor  Crittenden  strongly 
denies.  He  says  he  never  saw  Mattie  Collins  in  his 
life  to  know  her,  but  the  veiled  lady  he  knew  per- 


322  The  Life  of  Frank  and  Jesse  James. 

fectly  well,  but  refused  to  give  her  name,  or  an^ 
clue  to  her  identity. 

There  is  no  difficulty,  however,  as  to  the  outlaw 
for  whom  she  was  interesting  herself,  for  in  three 
days  afterwards  —  February  10th,  1882,— Dick  Little 
surrendered  to  John  R.  Timberlake,  Sheriff  of  Clay 
County,  and  on  the  22d  of  the  same  month  he  was 
taken  to  Jefferson  City,  and  the  testimony  of  the 
officials  who  had  charge  of  him  is  that,  so  far  as 
they  could  judge,  Dick  Little  had  acted  in  good 
faith,  and  that  his  surrender  was  a  genuine  sur- 
render. 

The  character  of  Little's  confession  can  only  be 
surmised.  Up  to  this  date  it  has  been  kept  a  pro- 
found secret.  It  is  said  to  be  very  voluminous,  and 
as  Dick  Little  was  thoroughly  acquainted  with  all 
the  secrets  of  the  Gang  it  is  fair  to  presume  that  the 
confession  will  cover  a  ver}'  large  area.  Governor 
Crittenden  has  gone  so  far  as  to  say  that  the  confes- 
sion will  include  in  its  comprehensiveness  names  of 
man}^  who  little  dream  of  the  talk  of  their  old  asso- 
ciate. When  further  questioned  on  the  subject,  the 
Governor  said  that  all  reports  of  Little's  confession 
were  spurious,  and  further  added:  "The  confession 
is  a  voluminous  one.  and  took  two  days  and  a  half 
to  write  it  down.  It  has  been  shown  to  nobody,  and 
will  be  kept  a  secret  until  such  time  as  I  deem  it  ad- 
visable to  give  it  out.  It  is  entirely  under  my  con- 
trol. No  one  aside  from  myself  and  two  or  three 
others  know  a  word  of  what  it  contains.  Little  is 
not  accessible  to  reporters.      He  has  been  ordered 


Dick  LittWs  Confession.  323 

not  to  talk  to  them.  The  reason  for  not  making 
Little's  confession  public  is  that  it  implicates  a 
great  many  people  who  are  supposed  to  be  in  good 
standing  in  the  community." 

The  report  that  Dick  Little  had  revealed  all  he 
knew  of  liis  old  comrades  reached  the  ears  of  Jesse 
James,  who  with  a  face  on  fire  with  relentless 
hatred  said  he  would  ^give  $1000  for  Dick's  scalp, 
and  swore  he  would  have  it  sooner  or  later. 

The  destiny  of  Dick  Little  is  not  determined,  on 
being  asked  if  Dick  had  been  pardoned,  or  assured 
of  a  pardon,  the  Governor  replied: 

''I  have  not  pardoned  Little.  Such  talk  is  all 
bosh.  I  pardon  not  before  conviction.  I  hope  he 
will  be  of  much  service  to  the  state.  Sometimes 
criminals  turn  State's  evidence  and  do  much  good. 
I  will  always  encourage  the  lesser  criminal  to  con- 
vict the  greater.  That  is  not  only  a  custom,  but  is 
the  law,  and  is  worthy  of  observance.'' 

Jesse  James  w^ent  with  his  wife  and  his  tw^o  chil- 
dren to  reside  at  St.  Joseph,  Mo.,  in  November  last, 
under  the  assumed  name  of  Mr.  Thomas  Howard. 
He  seemed  to  be  living  in  security;  but  he  was 
shadowed  daily,  and  little  dreamed  that  an  aveng- 
ing  foe  was  so  near. 

Two  young  men,  assuming  the  name  of  Johnson, 
but  whose  real  names  are  Robert  and  Charles  Ford, 
the  former  20  years  of  age,  the  latter  24,  who  hailed 
from  Richmond,  Ray  County,  Mo.,  and  who  are  said 
to  be  cousins  to  Jesse  James  by  marriage,  were 
detailed  by  Governor  Crittenden,  H.  H.  Craig,  Police 


324  The  Life  of  Frank  and  Jesse  James. 

Commissioner  of  Kansas  City,  and  Sheriff  Timber- 
lake,  of  Clay  County,  to  make  sure  of  Jesse  at  ali 
risks  and  hazards. 

The  Ford  boys  were  no  strangers  to  either  Frank 
or  Jesse.  Their  home  in  Richmond  has  often  been 
the  stopping  place  of  the  James  Gang.  If  these 
boys  had  not  been  actual  accomplices  with  Frank 
and  Jesse  in  their  lawless  exploits,  they  had  evinced 
so  much  sympathy  with  them,  that  there  could  be 
nothing  remarkable  in  their  assumed  desire  to  join 
the  band  of  robbers.  No  man  is  at  all  times  wise, 
and  the  most  cautious  men  are  sometimes  caught 
napping  when  their  interests  need  them  to  be  widest 
awake. 

When  Jesse,  with  his  wife  and  '*twa  wee  bairns" 
came  to  live  in  St.  Joseph,  they  lived  in  the 
southeast  part  of  the  city,  on  the  hill  not  far  from 
Worth's  Hotel.  The  winter  months  passed  very 
quietly,  and  Jesse  was  but  very  seldom  seen. 
He  was  in  the  habit  of  keeping  close  indoors  du- 
ring the  day,  and  all  the  visits  made  to  the  city 
were  paid  after  nightfall;  and  then  the  journey  was 
short  and  the  return  home  was  speedy.  The  nightly 
errand  was  for  his  favorite  journals,  the  Chicago 
TfHbune,  the  Cincinnatti  Commercial  and  the  Kan- 
sas City  Times;  in  the  perusal  of  which  he  spent 
most  of  his  time.  The  neighbors  took  little  inter- 
est in  the  new  family.  If  they  said  anything  at  all, 
it  was  to  the  effect  that  the  "  Howard's"  were  a  very 
quiet  people. 


Jesse's  Last  TV.s/Y  to  His  Home.  n?5 

Christmas  passed  pleasantly.  Jesse  had  the  rep- 
utation of  being  a  very  devoted  father,  and  when 
he  had  no  "professional  business"  on  hand,  he  would 
spend  most  of  his  time  in  "'cutting  up  with  the 
young 'uns."  Everything  indicates  that  had  Jesse 
chosen  a  quiet  and  honorable  walk  in  life,  he  would 
have  been  a  thoroughly  domestic  man. 

All  through  the  history  of  the  James'  Boys  there 
has  been  a  remarkable  exhibition  of  filial  affection. 
Frank  and  Jesse  have  never  failed  to  show  strong 
affection  for  their  mother,  while  Mrs.  Samuels, 
though  stern  and  unbending  in  her  nature,  evinced 
boundless  love  for  her  sons,  and  was  undoubtedly 
proud  of  their  terrible  exploits.  She  had  been  a 
faithful  ally  many  and  many  a  time.  She  had  often 
obtained  information  of  the  greatest  importance  to 
them  in  their  wild  expeditions;  and  if  half  that  is 
said  of  her  is  true,  she  was  frequently  consulted, 
and  her  counsel  taken  in  the  plots  and  schemes  of 
the  robber  band. 

About  a  fortnight  before  his  death  Jesse  paid  his 
last  visit  to  his  mother,  at  the  Kearney  homestead. 
The  Spring  was  just  making  its  appearance,  and  the 
old  home  of  his  childhood  was  donning  its  robe  of 
vernal  beauty.  Little  did  Jesse  think  that  before 
the  bud  changed  to  blossom  he  would  lie  sleeping 
under  the  grass  with  a  bullet  through  his  brain. 
His  life  had  always  been  in  danger.  He  had  been 
in  more  "imminent  perils"  than  Othello  could  re- 
count. But  this  time  did  not  seem  specially  peril- 
ous, except  from  hints  that  came  of  the  thorough 
determination  of   Governor  Crittenden  to  make  a 


326  The  Life  of  Frank  and  Jesse  James. 

full  end  of  bank  robbing  and  train  wrecking.  The 
arrest  of  so  many  confederates  had  somewhat  un- 
nerved him.  And  Dick  Little's  surrender  was 
ominous.  But,  like  Hamlet  in  the  play,  he  ''defied 
augury."  He  had  borne  a  charmed  life  so  far,  and 
he  would  not  blench  with  fear  till  there  was  some 
real  cause. 

Of  the  details  of  that  last  visit  into  Clay  County 
only  little  is  known;  but  that  little  is  of  great  import 
to  this  narrative.  It  was  during  this  visit  that 
Robert  Ford  made  the  final  arrangements  that 
ended  so  disastrously  for  Jesse.  Nearly  all  Jesse's 
old  comrades  were  in  prison  or  dead.  The  James 
Gang  was  utterly  broken  up,  and  Jesse  evidently 
had  no  intention  of  giving  up  his  course  of  life. 
What  he  wanted  was  new  and  good  material.  And 
Robert  Ford  seemed  to  him  the  kind  of  stuff  to 
make  a  bank  robber  out  of.  And  probably  Jesse 
was  right  in  his  estimate  of  his  dear  relative. 

Another  matter  was  pressing  on  Jesse's  attention; 
funds  were  getting  low.  He  had  not  more  than 
some  $600  or  $700,  and  the  failing  coffers  must  be  re- 
plenished. The  enormous  amounts  of  money  ob- 
tained by  this  Gang  is  only  a  little  more  rem^^rkable 
than  the  speed  with  which  it  disappeared.  It  is  an- 
other illustration  of  the  old  adage,  ''easy  come, 
easy  go." 

A  reference  to  the  earlier  pages  of  this  book  will 
show  that  the  James  Brothers  must  have  secured  by 
their  nefarious  proceedings  not  less  than  $275,000; 


Plot  and  Counterplot.  327 

and  yet,  Jesse  James  had  not  a  thousand  dollars 
when  he  died. 

At  this  last  visit  home,  Jesse  talked  over  a  plot 
with  Robert  Ford  for  robbing  another  bank.  But 
all  unknown  and  unsuspected,  he  was  himself  the 
victim  of  a  plot  within  a  plot.  Deep  ancl  subtle  and 
far-seeing  as  he  was 

"Beneath  his  depth, 
A  deeper  depth 

Lay  threatening  to  devour." 


CHAPTEE  \jXY 
TRAGIC    END    OF   .JESSE    JAMES. 

JESSE    GROWS    NERVOUS  — PLOT    TO    ROB    PLATTE    CITY 

BANK  — THE    FATAL    APRIL    MORNING  —  JESSE 

JAMES   SHOT   DEAD'.— DIES   IN   HIS  WIFE's 

ARMS — UNIVERSAL  CONSTERNATION 

—  ROBERT    ford's   STORY. 

There  is  no  disguising  the  fact  that  Jesse  James 
returned  from  that  last  visit  home  in  a  restless  mood. 
A  long  spell  of  inaction  always  made  him  nervous. 
He  wanted  to  be  at  his  old  tasks.  There  seemed  to 
be  a  perfect  enchantment  for  him  in  the  old  peril- 
ous way  of  life.  The  more  perilous  the  more  he 
liked  it. 

He  had  resolved  to  make  a  raid  on  the  Bank  of 
Platte  City.  The  Burgess  murder  trial  was  fixed  for 
April  the  4th.  His  plan  was  to  examine  the  premi- 
ses of  the  Bank  on  the  night  previously,  and  then, 
Vv-hen  the  trial  was  in  full  swing,  and  the  majority 
of  the  citizens  would  be  absorbed  in  the  trial,  to 
make  one  of  those  bold  dashes  that  had  been  so  suc- 
cessful in  former  years.     Robert  Ford  approved  of 


Description  of  Jesse  s  Home.  329 

the  plan  and  suggested  his  brother  Charles  as  a  com- 
panion worthy  of  sharing  the  enterprise  with  them. 
Jesse  had  met  the  boy  at  the  latter's  house,  near 
Richmond,  three  years  ago,  and  consented  to  see 
him.  It  was  finally  agreed  that  Charles  should  join 
in  the  raid. 

(.>n  iSunday.  March  the  '^^6th,  just  eight  days  before 
the  murder  of  Jesse,  Robert  and  Charles  Ford  be- 
came inmates  of  the  home  of  Jesse  James.  The 
house  is  a  one-story  cottage,  painted  white,  with 
green  shutters,  and  romantically  situated  on  the 
brow  of  a  lofty  eminence,  east  of  the  city,  com- 
manding a  fine  view  of  the  principal  portion  of  the 
city,  the  river,  and  the  railroad;  and  adapted  as  by 
nature  for  the  perilous  and  desperate  calling  of 
Jesse.  Just  east  of  the  house  is  a  deep,  gulch-like 
ravine,  and  beyond  a  broad  expanse  of  open  coun- 
try, backed  by  a  belt  of  timber.  The  house,  except 
from  the  west  side,  can  be  seen  for  several  miles. 
There  is  a  large  yard  attached  to  the  cottage,  and  a 
stable  wdiere  Jesse  had  been  keeping  two  horses, 
which  were  found  after  the  terrible  murder. 

Ever  since  the  boys  had  been  with  Jesse  they  had 
watched  for  an  opportunity  to  shoot  him,  but  he  w^as 
always  so  heavily  armed  that  it  w^as  impossible  to 
draw  a  weapon  without  him  seeing  it.  They  declare 
they  had  no  idea  of  taking  him  aJive,  considering 
the  undertaking  suicidal.  The  opportunity  they  had 
long  wished  for  came  on  the  morning  of  Monday, 
April  3d.  Breakfast  w^as  over.  Charles  Ford  and 
Jesse  James  had  been  in  the  stable  currying  their 


330  The  Life  of  Frank  and  Jesse  James. ' 

horses  preparatory  to  their  night  ride.  On  return- 
ing to  their  room  where  Robert  was,  Jesse  said:  ''It's 
an  awfully  hot  day." 

He  pulled  off  his  coat  and  vest,  and  tossed  them 
on  the  bed.  Then  he  said,  "  I  guess  I'll  take  off  my 
pistols,  for  fear  somebody  will  see  them  if  I  walk  in 
the  yard."  He  unbuckled  the  belt  in  which  he  car- 
ried two  forty-five  calibre  revolvers,  one  a  Smith  & 
Wesson,  and  the  other  a  Colt,  and  laid  them  on  the 
bed  with  his  coat  and  vest.  He  then  picked  up  a 
dusting-brush,  with  the  intention  of  dusting  some 
pictures  which  hung  on  tlie  wal].  To  do  this  he  got 
on  a  chair.  His  back  was  turned  to  the  Ford  boys, 
but  for  a  moment;  but  it  was  the  fatal  moment  for 
Jesse.  The  lynx-eyed  brothers  seized  the  opportu- 
nity, and  in  a  moment,  a  ball  from  a  gun  which 
Jesse  had  presented  to  Robert  Ford,  only  a  day  or 
two  before,  as  a  token  of  regard,  went  crashing 
through  Jesse's  brain.  He  fell  with  a  heavy  thud  to 
the  ground,  the  blood  oozed  in  a  crimson  stream  from 
the  gaping  wound,  and  in  less  time  than  it  takes  to 
tell,  Jesse  James,  the  terror  of  Missouri  lay  dead. 

This  daring  deed  was  the  work  of  a  moment.  No 
sooner  had  Jesse  mounted  the  chair  than  the  two 
brothers  stepped  between  Jesse  and  his  revolvers 
and  at  a  motion  from  Charlie,  both  drew  their  guns. 

Robert  was  the  quicker  of  the  two.     In  one  mo 
ment  he   had  a  long   weapon   level   with  his  eye. 
with  the  muzzle  no  more  than   four  feet  from   the 
back  of  the  outlaw's  head.     Even  in  that  moment, 
Quick  as  thousrht,  there  was  something:  that  did  not 


Death  of  Jesse  James.  331 

escape  the  acute  ears  of  the  hunted  man.  He  made 
a  motion  as  if  to  turn  his  head  to'ascertain  the  cause 
of  that  suspicious  sound,  but  too  late.  A  nervous 
pressure  on  the  trigger,  a  quick  flash,  a  sharp  re- 
port, and  all  was  over. 

There  was  no  outcry,  just  a  swaying  of  the  body, 
and  it  fell  heavily  back  upon  the  carpet.  The  shot 
had  been  fatal,  and  all  the  bullets  in  the  chamber  of 
Charlie's  revolver  still  directed  at  Jesse's  head,  could 
not  more  effectually  have  decided  the  fate  of  the 
greatest  Bandit  and  Freebooter  that  ever  figured  in 
the  pages  of  the  country's  history.  The  ball  had  en- 
tered the  base  of  the  skull  and  made  its  way  out 
through  the  forehead  ever  the  left  eye.  It  had  been 
fired'  out  of  a  Colt  45,  of  improved  pattern,  silver 
mounted  and  pearl  handled 

Mrs.  James  was  in  the  kitchen  when  the  shooting- 
was  done,  divided  from  the  room  in  which  the  bloody 
tragedy  occurred,  by  the  dining-room.  She  heard 
the  shot,  and  leaving  her  household  duties,  ran 
into  the  front  room.  She  saw  her  husband  lying  on 
his  back  and  his  slayers  each  holding  revolvers  in 
hand,  making  for  the  fence  in  the  rear  of  the  house. 
Robert  had  reached  the  in  closure  and  was  in  the  act 
of  scaling  it,  when  she  stepped  to  the  door  and  called 
to  him,  ''Robert,  you  have  done  this!  Oh!  my  God! 
my  God! !  What  shall  I  do?"  Then  with  a  wild 
shriek,  she  cried,  ''Come  back — come  back!' 

Turning  back  to  the  horrible  scene,  Mrs.  James 
fell  to  her  knees  and  took  the  head  of  her  dying  hus- 
band   to   her   breast   and    sought    to  staunch  the 


332  TJie  Life  of  Frank  and  Jesse  James. 

gushing  wound,but  her  efforts  were  all  in  vain.  Faster 
and  faster  the  crimson  tide  flowed  on;  the  face  grew 
rigid,  Jesse  looked  as  if  he  would  have  said  some- 
thing if  he  could,  but  it  vv^as  too  late!  One  gasp  for 
breath  and  all  was  over!  Jesse  died  by  the  hand  of 
a  treacherous  confederate,  but  he  died  in  the  arms  of 
the  wife  he  loved  so  well. 

It  was  early  on  the  bright  spring  morning  that 
this  fatal  shot  was  fired.  And  Jesse  was  yet  only 
in  the  prime  of  earl}^  manhood.  He  was  but  37 
years  old!    But  what  years  they  had  been! 

"Men  live  in  deeds,  not  breaths, 

In  feelings,  not  in  figures  on  a  dial." 

What  de(ids  of  violence  had  crowded  into  Jesse's 
brief  life!  There  was  blood  enough  on  his  hands  to 
have  darkened  and  stained  the  record  of  a  century! 
The  scene  was  sad  enough,  and  yet  it  was  not 
strange  that  a  life  that  had  luxuriated  in  deeds  of 
violence  should  meet  so  violent  an  end ! 

Charles  Ford  tried  to  persuade  Mrs.  James  that 
the  pistol  shot  that  made  her  a  widow  had  been 
fired  accidentally. 

"Gone  off  by  accident!  No,  I  guess  not!"  and  she 
darted  a  look  at  Charles  Ford  that  was  more  ex- 
pressive than  any  uttered  language. 

The  cry  of  the  little  children  was  heartrending 
as  they  saw  their  dead  father  lying  in  a  pool  ot 
blood,  and  saw  their  mother  frantic  with  wild  emo- 
tion. 


The  Fords'  Surrender,  333 

"Poor  papa  1 1  Poor  papal!"  they  cried  as  they 
dung  to  their  sad -hearted  mother.  For  whatever 
the  dead  man  liad  been  to  the  workl  at  large,  he  had 
been  to  them  a  true  and  loving  fatlier.  And  their 
little  hearts  were  sore  distressed.  While  this  scene 
was  going  on  in  the  now  desolate  home,  Robert  and 
Charles  Ford  made  their  way  to  the  telegraph  office, 
and  sent  messages  to  the  Sheriff  of  Timberlake 
County,  Governor  Crittenden,  and  others,  and  then 
they  surrendered  themselves  to  Marshal  Craig  and 
a  posse  of  officers. 

When  the  Ford  boys  appeared  at  the  police  sta- 
tion they  were  told  hy  an  officer  that  Marshal  Craig 
and  a  posse  of  officers  had  gone  in  the  direction  of 
the  James  residence,  and  they  started  after  them 
and  surrendered  themselves.  They  accompanied 
the  officers  to  the  house  and  returned  in  the  custody 
of  the  police  to  the  Marshal's  headquarters,  where 
they  were  furnished  with  a  dinner,  and  about  o 
o'clock  were  removed  to  the  old  Circuit  room,  where 
the  inquest  was  held  in  the  presence  of  an  immense 
crowd.  Mrs.  James  also  accompanied  the  officers 
\o  the  City  Hall,  having  previously  lefc  her  two 
children,  aged  7  and  3,  a  boy  and  a  girl,  at  the  house 
of  Mrs.  Lurnal,  who  had  known  the  Jameses  under 
the  assumed  name  of  Howard,  ever  since  they  had 
occupied  the  adjoining  house. 

Mrs.  James  was  greatly  affected  by  the  tragedy. 
and  heartrending  moans  and  expressions  of  grief 
were  sorrowful  evidence  of  the  love  she  bore  the 
desperado. 


334  Tlie  Life  of  Frank  and  Jesse  James. 

The  report  of  the  killing  of  the  notorious  outlaw 
spread  like  wildfire  through  the  city,  and  as  usual, 
the  reports  assumed  every  variety  of  form  and 
color.  Very  few  accredited  the  news  however,  and 
simply  laughed  at  the  idea  that  Jesse  James  was 
really  the  dead  man.  Nevertheless,  the  excitement 
ran  high,  and  one  confirming  report  succeeded  an- 
other. 

Crowds  of  hundreds  gathered  in  the  streets,  the 
Court  House  was  crowded  and  every  train  brought 
in  crowds  of  people  attracted  b}'  the  rumor  of  Jesse 
James's  death. 

Coroner  Heddins  was  notified  and  Undertaker 
Sidenfader  instructed  to  remove  the  body  to  his 
establishment.  A  large  crowd  accompanied  the 
Coroner  to  the  Morgue,  but  only  a  feAv,  including 
reporters,  were  admitted.  Notliing  in  the  appear- 
ance of  the  remains  indicated  the  desperate  charac- 
ter of  the  man  or  the  many  bloody  scenes  of  which 
he  had  been  an  actor.  Only  the  lower  part  of  the 
face,  the  square  cheek  bones,  the  stout,  prominent 
chin,  covered  with  a  soft,  sandy  beard,  and  the  thin, 
firmly  closed  lips,  in  a  measure  betrayed  the  deter- 
mined will  and  iron  courage  of  the  dead  man.  A 
further  inspection  of  the  body  revealed  two  large 
bullet  holes  on  the  right  side  of  the  breast,  within 
three  inches  of  the  nipple,  a  bullet  wound  in  the 
leg,  and  the  absence  of  the  middle  finger  of  the  left 
hand.  After  viewing  the  remains,  the  Coroner  re- 
paired to  the  court,  whither  soon  after  Mrs.  James, 
in  the  custody  of  Marshal  Craig,  and  the  two  Ford 


Nobert  FonV:^  Stateinenf.  335 

boys,  both  heavily  armed,  followed.  They  were 
kept  in  separate  apartments  until  the  jury  an- 
nounced themselves  ready  to  hear  testimony.  A 
jury  was  impaneled  as  follows:  W.  H.  Chouning, 
J.  W.  Moore,  Warren  Samuels,  Thomas  Morris, 
William  Turner,  William  George.  The  witnesses 
examined  were  Mrs.  James,  the  Ford  boys,  and 
Dick  Little. 

It  was  still  hard  to  believe  that  Jesse  was  really 
dead.  Hunted  so  long — hunted  by  ♦thousands,  could 
it  be  possible  that  he  had  been  run  to  ground  at  last? 
The  news  if  not  too  good,  was  yet  too  strange  to  be 
true.  Robert  Ford  was  interviewed  and  as  his  words 
are  of  considerable  importance  at  this  stage  of  our 
story,  we  give  the  narrative  as  it  came  from  the  lips 
of  the  murderer  of  Jesse  James. 

*'So  they  say  that  the  dead  man  isn't  Jesse  James, 
do  they?  Then  they  are  mistaken.  I  first  met  Jesse 
James  three  years  ago,  and  I  have  made  no  mis- 
take. He  used  to  come  over  to  the  house  when  I  was 
on  my  oldest  brother's  farm.  Last  November  he 
moved  here  to  St.  Joe  and  went  under  the  name  of 
Thomas  Howard.  He  rented  a  house  on  the  hill, 
back  of  the  Worlds  Hotel,  a  quiet  part  of  the  town 
and  not  thickly  settled.  My  brother  Charley  and 
I  had  known  nearly  all  of  the  gang,  but  had  never 
worked  with  them  otherwise. 

I  was  in  collusion  with  the  detectives,  and  was  one 
of  the  party  that  went  to  Kentucky  and  arrested 
Clarence  Hite,  last  February.  Hite  got  twenty-five 
years  in  the  penitentiary.    Jesse  never  suspected 


336  The  Life  of  Frank  and  Jesse  James. 

that  we  were  false  to  him,  and,  as  his  gang  was  all 
broken  up,  he  wanted  new  material  and  regarded  us 
favorably.  Two  weeks  ago  he  came  to  Clay  county 
to  see  his  mother,  Mrs.  Samuels,  who  lives  forty 
miles  east  of  Kansas  City.  Charley  and  I  told  him 
then  we  wanted  to  join  him  and  be  outlaws,  and  he 
said  all  right.  Charley  came  here  with  him  a  week 
ago  Sunday,  and  I  followed  last  Sunday  night.  We 
both  staid  at  his  house,  a  one-story  building  with 
seven  rooms.        » 

Governor  Crittenden  had  offered  $10,000  reward 
for  Jesse,  dead  or  alive.  We  knew  that  the  only 
way  was  to  kill  him.  He  was  always  cool  and  self- 
possessed,  but  always  on  the  watch.  During  the 
day  he  would  stay  around  the  house,  and  in  the 
evening  he  would  go  down  town  to  the  news  depot 
and  get  the  papers.  He  said  there  were  men  here 
who  ought  to  know  him,  but  they  never  did.  He 
took  the  Chicago  ''Tribune,''  Cincinnati  Commercial, 
and  Kansas  City  Times  regularly,  and  always  knew 
what  was  going  on  all  over  the  world.  About 
a  week  ago  he  read  a  piece  in  one  of  the  papers  that 
Jesse  James's  career  was  over,  and  Charlie  said  he 
was  awful  mad  about  it.  He  said  he  would  show 
them,  before  long,  that  Jesse  James  was  not  done 
yet. 

He  had  not  done  any  job  since  the  ''Blue-Cut" 
train-robbery,  last  September,  and  I  don't  believe  he 
had  over  $700  or  $S00  in  money.  He  was  thinking 
of  robbing  some  bank,  near  by,  and  then  running  in 
under  close  cover.     It  was  for  this   he   wanted   our 


Robert  ForcVs  Statement.  337 

help.  We  knew  we  had  to  kill  him,  but  there  was 
no  chance  to  get  the  drop  on  him  until  this  morning. 

His  wife,  and  boy  of  7,  and  girl  of  3,  were  in  the 
kitchen.  Jesse  was  in  the  front  sitting-room,  where 
he  slept.  Never  knew  him  to  be  so  careless.  He 
commenced  brushing  the  dust  off  some  picture- 
frames,  but  stopped  and  took  off  his  weapons,  and 
laid  them  on  the  bed.  There  was  a  Colt's  revolver 
and  a  Smith  &  Wesson,  each  forty -five  calibre.  He 
also  had  in  the  room  a  Winchester  repeating  rifle, 
fourteen  shots,  and  a  breach-loading  shot-gun. 

As  he  turned  away  from  the  bed,  we  stepped  be- 
tween him  and  his  weapons  and  pulled  on  him.  I 
was  about  eight  feet  from  him  when  he  heard  my 
pistol  cock.  He  turned  his  head  like  lightning.  I 
fired,  the  ball  hitting  over  the  left  eye  and  coming 
out  behind  the  right  ear.  Charlie  had  his  fingers  on 
the  trigger,  but  saw  he  was  done  for,  and  did  not 
shoot.  Not  one  of  us  spoke  a  word.  He  fell  dead 
at  Charlie's  feet.  We  then  got  our  hats,  went  to 
the  telegraph  office,  and  telegraphed  what  we  had 
done  to  Governor  Crittenden,  Capt.  Henry  Craig,  of 
Kansas  City,  and  Sheriff  Timberlake.  of  Clay 
County.  The  latter  replied:  '  I  will  come  at  once. 
Stay  there  until  I  comeV  * 


CHAPTER    LXYI. 
AFTER  THE    TRAGEDY. 

UNIVERSAL  CONSTERNATION— HARD  TO   BELIEVE   THAT 
JESSE   IS  REALLY  DEAD — CONFLICTING   OPINIONS 
CONCERNING  BOB  FORD — WHAT  AN  OLD  IN- 
DEPENDENCE CONFEDERATE  THINKS. 

The  newspapers  of  Tuesday  morning,  April  4th, 
created  a  world-wide  and  profound  sensation.  The 
tidings  that  the  wildest  freebooter  since  the  days  of 
Quantrell  had  been  shot  dead  in  his  own  house, 
awoke  universal  astonishment.  All  over  the  States 
and  Territories  of  the  Union,  and  especially  in  .the 
Western  regions,  the  news  created  a  startling  effect. 

"At  last,"  men  said, — and  beld  their  breath  for  a 
moment,  and  then,  as  if  doubting  the  possibility  of 
Jesse  James's  complete  defeat,  suggested  that  the 
news  would  need  a  good  deal  of  confirmation  before 
it  was  accepted. 

In  St.  Louis  and  Chicago'  the  excitement  was  in- 
tense, and  in  the  latter  city.  Pinkerton's  Detective 
Force    were    particularly    hard   of  belief.      When 


Conflicting  Opinions.  33J) 

however  the  news   was   contirmed,  Mr.   Pinkerton 
smiled  most  blandly  and  said: 

"All  right  I  Then  John  Wicher  is  avenged  at 
last  I" 

A  stranger  in  the  Country  might  almost  think 
that  Jesse  James  was^ome  great  hero  so  great  was 
the  excitement  occasioned  by  the  tidings  of  his 
tragic  end.  Many  and  varied  were  the  opinions  ex- 
pressed concerning  his  fate. 

•'Too  bad!  too  bad  I"'  said  one,  "after  all  his  pluck 
and  courage  to  be  shot  down  like  a  dog  at  last  I" 

"Poor  devil!"  said  another,  "Bad  as  he  was,  he 
was  clear  grit,  and  only  an  infernal  traitor  would 
have  done  him  the  dirty  trick!" 

There  is  a  wonderful  power  in  death  to  smooth 
out  the  wrinkles  of  a  bad  life.  And  as  at  the  wake 
of  Tim  O'Hara  every  one  said 

"  Something  good 

Of  the  boj^  who  was  dead." 

So  there  seemed  to  be  an  almost  universal  disposi- 
tion to  pity  the  man  whose  life  had  traveled  through 
such  bloody  ways,  and  ended  at  last  in  such  utter, 
hopeless  gloom. 

The  trains  that  came  into  St.  Joseph  on  Wednes- 
day brought  hundreds  of  people  that  wanted  to  take 
jne  look  at  the  face  of  the  murdered  man. 

Many  staid  and  sober  minded  men  felt  that  Bob 
Ford  had  done  the  State  "good  service,"  but  just  as 
iiobody  loves  a  policemen  or  an  executioner, 
so  there  was  a  revolt  of  feeling,  in  favor  of  the 


340  The  lAfe  of  Frank  and  Jesse  James. 

murdered  man  and  though  it  was  generally  felt 
that  Missouri  was  well  rid  of  Jesse  James,  yet 
the  manner  of  his  taking  off  was  not  admired.  Even 
the  devil  should  have  his  due,  and  it  was  felt  that 
for  Bob  Ford  to  sneak  into  Jesse's  house,  and  get 
into  his  confidence  for  no  other  purpose  than  to 
bring  about  his  ruin  and  death  w^as  after  all 
not  very  noble.  One  of  the  old  members  of  the 
gang  noAV  at  Independence  gives  his  opinions  on 
Bob  Ford  and  the  whole  business  very  freely. 

''What  do  you  think  of  the  killing  of  Jesse 
James?"  was  the  question  proposed  to  the  old  Inde- 
pendence confederate. 

"I  do  not  know  what  to  think.  I  guess  there  is 
no  mistake  about  it,  and  to  tell  the  truth  I  have 
been  expecting  it  for  some  time." 

''•Why?" 

"Because  Jesse  was  so  infernally  bold  in  his 
movements  that  he  was  bound  to  be  caught  napping 
some  time." 

"Did  you  expect  him  to  go  in  this  way?" 

"Yes,of  course;  for  1  knew  he  would  not  be  taken 
alive,  and  I  also  felt  sure  that  his  death  would  be 
accomplished  by  some  member  of  the  Gang  I 
never  expected,  however,  that  Bob  Ford  would  kill 
him.  I  always  thought  Jim  Cummings  would  be 
the  one  to  do  the  job." 

"Why  did  you  think  of  Cummings?" 

"Because  he  and  Jesse  were  terribly  jealous  of 
each  other,  and  were  continually  having  some  kind 
of  a  fuss." 


Conflicting  Opinions.  341 

**Do  you  know  Bob  Ford?" 

"Yes,  and  I  tell  you  he  is  clear  grit,  if  he  is  noth- 
ing but  a  boy.  He  isn't  afraid  of  the  devil  himself, 
and  would  just  as  soon  tackle  him  as  not." 

"Was "he  connected  with  the  Blue-cut  robbery?" 

"No,  but  his  brother  Charley  was.  Both  were  in 
the  Winston  robbery,  and  he  also  helped  Dick  Little 
kill  Wood  Hite." 

"What  effect  will  the  killing  of  Jesse  have  upon 
the  Gang?" 

"It  will  break  it  up,  of  course.  Frank  was  the 
real  head  of  the  Gang,  and  did  all  the  planning,  but 
Jesse  did  the  execution,  and  without  him  nothing 
can  be  done." 

"What  about  Jesse  having  lived  in  Kansas  City 
for  several  months  last  year?" 

"He  lived  on  East  Eighth  street  at  the  time  of  the 
Blue-cut  robbery,  and  was  at  home  and  read  a  full 
account  of  the  affair  in  the  papers  next  morning. 
He  was  supposed  to  be  a  stock  dealer,  and  he  came 
to  Cracker's  Neck  several  times  when  making  ar- 
rangements for  the  robbery  on  the  pretense  of  buy- 
ing cattle,and  one  time  did  drive  a  herd  to  the  Kan- 
sas City  stock  yards." 

"Did  the  people  of  Cracker's  Neck  know  him?" 
"Some  of  them  did,  but  were  afraid  to   give   him 
away,  while  others  had  no  desire  to  betray  him.  He 
came  and  went  when  he  pleased,  and  was  always 
welcome." 

"What  will  Frank  and  Jim  Cummings  do  now?'' 


342  The  Life  of  Frank  and  Jesse  James. 

"1  think  Frank  will  go  to  Texas  and  settle  down. 
He  is  half  dead  from  consumption,  anyway,  and  I 
don't  think  he  will  live  long.  The  excitement  is  all 
that  has  kept  him  up  for  more  than  a  year.  Jim 
Cummings  is  a  treacherous  scoundrel.  I  shouldn't 
w^onder  if  he  didn't  try  some  scheme  to  secure  a  par- 
don by  betrajang  Frank.  He  will  never  be  able  to 
organize  a  gang  by  himself  as  no  one  has  any  con- 
fidence in  him." 

"What  do  you  think  of  the  manner  in  which  Jesse 
was  killed?" 

''It  was  a  dirty,  mean  trick,  but  was  the  only  w^ay 
to  get  him.  I  am  surprised  that  Jesse  laid  his  re- 
volvers down,  for  I  never  knew  him  to  let  them  out 
of  his  reach  before.  Why,  when  he  slept  he  always 
had  a  revolver  in  his  hand,  and  the  slightest  noise 
would  cause  him  to  jump  up  straight  in  bed  and 
cock  his  weapon  ready  for  a  fight.  He  was  always 
afraid  of  being  betrayed,  and  would  never  allow 
anyone  to  touch  his  pistols,  or  take  them  out  of  his 
hands.  He  was  afraid  of  Jim  Cummings,  and 
would  alwavs  make  him  eat  and  sleep  apart  from 
him.*' 

"What  effect  will  his  death  have  upon  you  and 
your  partners  in  the  Blue-cut  affair?" 

"I  don't  know  that  it  will  have  any,  except  to 
scare  the  boys.  Bugler  and  Chapman  are  already 
frightened  half  to  death  for  fear  of  being  lynched. 
We  are  all  gone  up,  and  I  don't  see  any  use  of 
making   an}^  fight  about  it." 


What  an  OJd  Confedende  Thinks,  343 

"What  about  Dick  Little's  statement  that  you 
were  not  in  the  Blue-cut  robbery?" 

''Little  is  a  liar,  and  I  think  he  has  been  hired  to 
'.ell  that  by  Bugler's  friends." 


CHAPTER    LXVII. 
THE  CORONER'S    INQUEST. 

INTENSE     DESIRE    TO    SEE    THE    DEAD    BANDIT.        MRS. 

SAMUELS    SENT   FOR.       HER   ENCOUNTER    WITH 

DICK  LITTLE.    THE  INQUEST — HARROWING 

SCENES  IN  THE  COURT  HOUSE.    MRS. 

SAMUELS    BEGS    THE  BODY 

OF     HER     SON. 

If  Jesse  James  had  been  the  greatest  hero  of  the  age, 
a  view  of  his  dead  face  could  hardly  have  been  sought 
for  more  diligently.  From  all  quarters  men  and 
women,  young  and  old,  crowded  around  the  under- 
takers, if  by  any  chance  they  might  catch  one 
glimpse  of  a  face  that  for  years,  had  been  a  sign  of 
terror  and  dread.  Each  train  brought  in  fresh  crowds 
to  gaze  upon  the  dead.  Every  entrance  into  St.  Jo- 
seph was  choked  up  with  teams  and  buggies,  heav- 
ily laden  with  people  from  all  the  country  round, 
who  had  left  their  homes,  and  farms,  and  occupa- 
tions, morbidly  curious  to  see  or  hear  something  of 
the  tragedy  that  had  closed  the  red-handed  cai-eer 
of  Jesse. 


Jesse's  Mother  Amines.  .'545 

On  the  morning  of  April  4th,  Mrs.  Samuels,  the 
mother  of  Jesse,  arrived  upon  the  scene.  She  had 
left  her  home  in  Clay  County  with  a  heavy  heart. 
Her  life  had  been  for  years,  one  of  agonizing  sus- 
pense. Any  time  for  the  last  eighteen  years,  the 
likeliest  news  to  come  to  the  Farm  House,  at  Kear- 
ney, was  that  either  Frank,  or  Jesse,  or  be  h,  had 
become  chief  victims  in  some  bloody  tragedy  Many 
false  reports  of  the  death  of  Jesse,  had,  from  time 
to  time,  distressed  her.  But  she  had  unfailing  con- 
fidence that  Jesse  would  never  be  taken  alive.  And 
her  confidence  was  well  founded. 

When  the  telegram  reached  her  at  Kearney  an- 
nouncing the  death  of  her  favorite  son  at  the  hand 
of  Bob  Ford,  she  shed  no  tears,  she  made  no  wild 
cry  of  anguish.  She  took  in  the  whole  situation  at 
once,  Jesse  was  dead,  killed  by  a  treacherous  hand  I 
And  there  stole  over  her  aged  face  a  pallor,  and 
there  gathered  in  her  eyes  an  awful  light  that  was 
indicative  of  an  agony  too  deep  for  tears,  an  agony 
not  unassociated  with  a  spirit  of  bitter  and  merci- 
less vengeance.  She  read  the  telegram  again  and 
again,  and  said  in  low  half  choked  words: 

*^Shot  by  Bob  Ford  I  Why  did  he  trust  him! 
Given  away  by  Dick  Little  and  shot  by  Bob!  Trai- 
tors! Traitors!!  Traitors!!!" 

Mrs.  Samuels  arrived  at  St.  Joseph  at  about  10 
o'clock  in  the  morning.  Her  interview  with  Jesse's 
wife  and  her  little  grandchildren  was  pathetic  in 
the  extreme.  They  clung  about  her  and  moaned 
and  sobbed  most  piteously,  as  though  they  thought 


346  The  Life  of  Frank  and  Jesse  Ja)nes. 

she  had  power  to  bring  the  dead  man  back  to  life. 
Still  Mrs.  Samuels  shed  no  tears.  But  there  was  a 
stony  glance  in  her  eyes  and  a  firm  compression  of 
the  lips  that  bespoke  an  agony  too  deep  for  utter- 
ance. Even  yet  she  could  hardly  realize  that  Jesse 
was  dead.  He  had  met  death  face  to  face  so  many 
times  and  had  escaped,  that  it  seemed  hard  to  be- 
believe  that  at  last  he  had  been  conquered. 

The  sorrowing  women  and  children  were  driven 
to  the  undertaker's  to  view  the  body. 

Arrived  at  Undertaker  Sidenfader's,  they  found 
all  that  was  mortal  of  Jesse  laid  on  a  plank.  When 
Mrs.  Samuels  caught  sight  of  Jesse's  cold  dead  face, 
she  almost  swooned,  and  it  was  with  great  difficulty 
that  she  rallied. 

*^My  poor  boy!  My  dear  son!  My  darling  boy!" 
she  sobbed  aloud. 

The  sight  was,  indeed,  sad.  Three  generations, 
mother,  wife  and  children,  wailing  in  unrestrained 
anguish  around  the  dead  man's  bier.  The  sad- 
hearted  mother  was  now  convinced  be3^ond  a  doubt. 
She  admitted  its  identity  and  cried  with  deep  emo- 
tion : 

"Would  to  God  it  was  not!" 

From  the  undertaker's,  Mrs.  Samuels,  Mrs.  James 
and  the  children,  were  driven  to  the  Court  House, 
where  they  were  to  testify  to  Jesse's  identity. 

The  Court  Room  was  crowded  to  excess.  Every 
available  inch  of  space  was  occupied,  and  all  the 
corridors  and  approaches  were  thronged  by  eager 
crowds. 


Tlie  Inquest.  347 

The  most  intense  interest  was  manifested,  and  the 
closest  attention  paid  to  the  testimony. 

H.  H.  Craig,  Police  Commissioner,  of  Kansas 
City,  was  the  first  witness  sworn.  He  said : 
'^The  body  corresponds  with  the  description  of 
Jesse  James.  I  know  the  Fords.  Bob  Ford 
assisted  Sheriff  Timberlake  and  myself.  Ford 
was  not  commissioned.  Robert  Ford  acted  through 
our  instructions,  and  Charles  was  not  acting  under 
our  instructions." 

Sheriff  Timberlake  testified  that  he  was  ac- 
quainted with  Jesse  James  and  recognized  the  body. 
They  were  personally  acquainted.  "Saw  him  last 
in  1870.  I  knew  his  face.  He  had  a  finger  off.  I  told 
Ford  to  get  his  brother  to  assist  him." 

Dick  Little  was  sworn:  "  I  have  seen  the  bodj 
and  rpcognize  it  as  the  bod}^  of  Jesse  James.  I  have 
nc  doubt  of  it.  His  general  appearance  is  that  of 
Jesse  James.  His  finger  is  off,  as  James's  was,  and 
I  recognize  the  scars  in  the  side  and  thigh." 

James  Finley  testified,  he  was  not  acquainted 
w-ith  Jesse  James.  "I  w^ent  to  the  house  after  the 
shooting  and  found  two  horses.  I  sent  two  officers 
after  the  Johnsons,  .as  they  were  then  called.  Ford 
came  and  acknowledged  the  shooting.  He  de- 
scribed the  wounds  on  the  body,  and  claimed  the 
man  was  Jesse  James.  Ford  told  me  there  were 
watches  and  jewelry  at  the  house.  I  found  watches, 
jewelry,  pistols,  cartridges,  and  a  purse.  I  gave  the 
purse  to  Mrs.  James.     It  had  some  small  change  in 


348  The  Life  of  Frank  and  Jesse  James. 

it.  A  scarf  pin  was  found  with  the  marks  'J. 
W.  J.' " 

Mrs.  Samuels,  mother  of  Jesse,  was  then  called. 
As  she  entered  the  room  all  eyes  were  turned  upon 
her.  Men  stood  on  the  seats,  craned  their  necks, 
and  used  every  endeavor  to  gain  a  view  of  the 
woman,  who,  although  the  mother  of  the  outlaw, 
had  the  respect  of  every  one  in  the  room.  She 
moved  with  a  slow  step  and  boAved  head  to  the  wit- 
ness stand.  She  has  a  kindly  face  and  eyes,  and  a 
rather  prominent  nose.  She  was  dressed  in  black, 
with  a  black  straw  hat,  and  a  black  veil  that  partly 
covered  her  face.  When  she  took  the  stand  her  face 
had  a  resolute  appearance,  but,  as  the  examination 
progressed,  that  disappeared,  and  she  was  very 
much  affected.  She  testified  that  she  was  the 
mother  of  Jesse  James,  and  she  had  seen  the  body 
but  a  moment  before.  ''Is  that  the  body  of  your 
son?''  asked  the  coroner.  "It  is,"  she  answered, and 
then  sobbed  out:  "Would  to  God  it  was  not!"  Plac- 
ing her  hands  on  the  heads  of  the  little  son  and 
daughter  of  Jesse  James,  who  w^ere  standing  in 
front  of  her,  she  continued,  "And  these  are  his  or- 
phan children."  As  she  said  this  she  was  moved  to 
tears.  Mrs.  James  was  asked  to  raise  her  veil,  and, 
as  she  did  so,  Mrs.  Samuels  was  asked  if  she  recog- 
nized her.  She  answered  that  she  did,  and  it  was 
the  widow  of  Jesse  James. 

Mrs.  James  testified  that  she  recognized  tlie  pre- 
ceding witness  as  Mrs.  Samuels.  Mrs.  Samuels 
retired  from  the  court-room. 


ROBERT    FORD, 
The  Man  who  Shot  Jesse  James, 


The    Verdict.  349 

The  Jury  retired  for  a  very  short  time  and  brought 
in  the  following*  verdict: 

"We,  the  jury,  find  that  the  deceased  is  Jesse 
James,  and  that  he  came  to  hjs  death  by  a  pistol- 
shot  in  the  hands  of  Robert  Ford." 

The  two  Ford  boys  were  at  once  committed  to  jail 
charged  with  the  murder  of  Jesse  James,  under  a 
w^arrant  sworn  out  by  his  wife. 

Returning  from  the  Court  House,  Mrs.  Samuels 
confronted  Dick  Little,  whose  treachery  seems  to 
affect  her  quite  as  much  as  the  actual  deeds  of  the 
Ford  Boys.  She  seems  to  think  that  but  for  Little's 
surrender,  Jesse  would  not  have  been  hunted  to  his 
death.  Mrs.  Samuels  is  a  w^oman  of  57  years  of  age. 
Her  hair  has  grown  gray,  but  Avhen  her  eyes  dilate 
with  passion,  her  towering  form  assumes  a  terrible 
aspect.  It  was  in  a  crushed  and  broken  state  of 
mind  that  Mrs.  Samuels  turned  away  from  the  in- 
quest. Turning  from  the  witness  stand,  her  eyes 
rested  on  Dick  Little  standing  in  the  aisle.  All  tjie 
tiger  in  her  nature  w^as  roused  in  a  moment. 

"Traitor!  Traitor  I  Traitor!"  she  exclaimed  ex- 
citedly. '*  God  will  send  vengeance  on  you  for  this. 
You  are  the  cause  of  all  this.  O  you  villain!  I 
would  rather  be  in  my  poor  boy's  place  than  in 
yours." 

Dick  cowered  before  her  gaze  and  seemed  to  be  in 
abject  fear  of  the  enraged  woman,  and,  perhaps,  it 
was  just  as  well  for  him  that  she  was  not  armed. 

''  I  did  not  hurt  him,"  said  Dick,  "  I  thought  you 
knew  who  killed  him." 


c150  The  Life  of  Frank  and  Jesse  James, 

''Oh!  God!  My  poor  boy,  my  poor  boy!"  She 
groaned  out  and  left  the  Court  room. 

Mrs.  Samuels  begged  for  the  body  of  her  mur- 
deredson,  and  rumor  avers  that  the  agent  who  want- 
ed to  negotiate  for  Guiteau's  body,  put  himself  in 
communication  with  Mrs.  Samuels  and  offered  a 
very  large  sum  for  his  remains.  But  this  offer  was 
in  vain.  Mrs.  Samuels  will  bury  her  son  in  the  old 
homestead  at  Kearney. 


OHAPTEE   LXVIII. 
THE  LAST    OF    EABTH. 

REMOVAL  OF  THE  BODY   OF  JESSE  JAMES  TO  KEARNEl? 

— THRONGS  ON  THE  WAY— ARRIVAL   AT  HIS  EARLY 

HOME — THE   SERVICE   IN   THE  BAPTIST 

CHURCH — ASHES   TO  ASHES. 

The  body  of  Jesse  James  was  given  over  to  his 
widow  for  interment.  In  accordance  with  the  wishes 
of  his  mother,  it  was  arranged  that  he  should  be 
buried  in  the  old  homestead  at  Kearney.  The  spot 
that  had  sheltered  him  in  a  thousand  days  of  peril, 
was  now  to  be  his  last  long  resting-place.  The  re- 
mains were  enclosed  in  a  magnificent  casket  with 
silver  adornments,  the  cost  of  which  amounted  to 
$500.  The  funeral  cortege  left  St.  Joseph  for  Came- 
ron at  sunset  on  April  the  oth,  and  was  in  charge  of 
Marshal  Craig  of  St.  Joseph.  The  members  of  the 
mourning  family  consisted  of  Mrs.  Samuels,  Mrs. 
James,  the  two  children,  Mr.  L.  W.  James,  cousin 
of  Jesse,  and  Mr.  R.  T.  Minims,  the  brother  of 
Jesse's  widow.  Some  difficulty  had  occurred  through 
an  official  desire  to  have  the  body  sent  on  to  Kansas 


352  The  Life  of  Frank  and  Jesse  James. 

City.  But  Sheriff  Timberlake  and  the  local  authori- 
ties prevailed,  and  the  body  was  formally  handed 
over  to  Mrs.  James  by  Coroner  Heddins  on  an  order 
of  the  Grand  Jur}^  of  Buchanan  county,  and  the 
dispatch  of  Governor  Crittenden. 

It  is  believed  that  an  autopsy  was  held  over  the 
body  of  Jesse  James,  but  the  ph}^sicians  decline  to 
give  any  information  on  the  subject. 

The  train  left  St.  Joseph  about  C  o'clock  in  the 
evening.  An  immense  concourse  gathered  at  the 
depot  to  catch  a  glimpse  of  the  coffined  Bandit  as 
he  started  on  his  last  railway  ride.  A  carriage 
drove  up  and  Mrs.  Samuels  stepped  out,  and  lean- 
ing on  the  arm  of  an  officer  proceeded  to  the  train, 
followed  by  a  gaping  crowd.  She  was  exceedingly 
anxious  to  see  the  body  safely  on  board.  She  was 
not  content  till  she  had  been  to  the  baggage  car  and 
had  seen  the  coffin  herself. 

V/'hile  in  the  depot,  a  short,  thick-set  man  tried  to 
fire  a  pistol  at  Mrs.  Samuels,  but  was  promptly 
seized  and  driven  ignominiously  out  of  the  depot 
into  the  street.  At  all  the  stations  along  the  road 
CHAvds  gathered,  moved  by  morbid  curiosity  to  see 
what  might  be  seen  of  the  funeral  procession. 

The  train  reached  Cameron  about  9  o'clock,  and  a 
large  crowd  filled  the  depot  and  its  surroundings. 
The  bereaved  family  were  conducted  to  a  waiting 
room  to  await  a  special  train  that  was  to  take  the 
body  on  to  Kearney.  The  box  containing  the  coffin 
was  strictly  guarded  by  a  member  of  the  family, 
who  was  importuned  in  vain  to  open  the  coffin   that 


Funeral  Services  in  the  Baptist  Church.       353 

the  curious  crowd  might  take  a  last  look  at  Jesse. 
The  train  left  Cameron  shortly  after  midnight.  And 
just  as  the  spring  morning  was  breaking  faintly 
over  the  scenes  of  his  early  years,  Jesse's  last  jour- 
ney on  earth  came  to  an  end.  The  remains  were 
conveyed  at  once  to  the  Kearney  Hotel,  where  they 
lay  in  rude  state  in  a  front  room  of  the  hotel  from  6 
o'clock  to  10  o'clock,  during  which  tim.e  more  than 
fifteen   hundred   people  viewed  the  dead  desperado. 

The  services  at  the  church  took  place  at  2  P.  M., 
and  were  conducted  by  Rev.  G.  M.  Martin,  assisted 
by  Rev.  G.  R.  Jones  The  ordinary  obsequies  were 
conducted,  interspersed  with  vocal  music.  Rev.  Mr. 
Martin  delivered  the  address,  and  his  only  reference 
to  the  character  of  the  dead  man  was  to  say  that  it  was 
too  well  known  to  need  any  comment.  Without  any 
expression  of  opinion  regarding  the  spiritual  out- 
look of  the  outlaw,  he  spoke  only  of  the  chances  of 
the  living  and  the  lesson  taught  by  the  death. 

About  five  hundred  people  were  in  the  church  and 
an  immense  crowd  gathered  outside  who  could  not 
gain  admittance.  At  the  close  of  the  service  Mr. 
Martin  stated  to  the  audience  that,  owing  to  the 
severe  illness  of  John  Samuels,  all  but  the  near  rela- 
tives of  the  deceased  were  requested  not  to  follow 
the  body  to  the  grave.  The  corpse  was  then  taken 
to  the  Samuels'  homestead.  When  the  short  proces- 
sion reached  that  place,  a  crowd  was  found  to  have 
assembled  who  had  not  been  at  the  church.  At  the 
southwest  corner  of  the  one-acre  tract  that  -com- 
prises the  Samuels  homestead  a  grave  had  been  dug. 


354         Tlie  Life  of  Frank  and  Jesse  James. 

After  a  brief  prayer  the  body  was  lowered  into  the 
ground,  and  the  sounds  of  the  clods  of  earth  falling 
on  the  coffin  told  the  crowd  that  had  assembled  that 
Jesse  James  had  left  the  sight  of  the  world  forever. 
Mrs.  Samuels  was  greatly  distressed.  .  In  the  old 
farm  house  a  younger  son  of  Mrs.  Samuels  lay  dan- 
gerously ill,  while  in  the  corner  of  the  heme  lot 
Jesse's  grave  looked  spectral  as  the  sunset  tinged 
the  new  made  mound  witli  lurid  beams.  Sh&  clings 
to  the  hope  that  Jesse  is  at  rest  and  in  peacG. 

"  After  life's  fitful  fever 
He  sleeps  well." 


THE  FATE  OF  THE  FORD  BOYS. 

Justice  has  been  as  swift  and  certain  in  her  deal- 
ing w  ith  the  Ford  boys,  as  she  has  been  laggard  and 
uncertain  m  the  case  of  Guiteau.  * 

Charles  and  Robert  Ford  were  arraigned  before 
Judge  Sherman,  at  St.  Joseph,  Mo.,  on  Monday,  the 
17th  of  April.  The  court  room  was,  of  course, 
crowded.  The  prisoners  seemed  to  be  wholly  uncon- 
cerned, and  took  the  whole  proceedings  as  mere 
formal  business. 

Prosecuting  -  Attorney  Spencer  read  the  indict- 
ment charging  the  prisoners  with  murder  in  the 
first  degree.  Both  prisoners  pleaded  guilty  without 
a  moment's  hesitation.  The  suddenness  of  the  plea 
and  the  unconcerned  manner  of  the  prisoners  took 
Judge  Sherman  somewhat  aback.  After  a  brief 
pause  the  Judge  passed  sentence  of  death  upon  both 
prisoners  in  the  following  words: 

**  Under  the  circumstances,  there  is  only  one 
thinjj  I  can  do,  and  that  is  to  pronounce  sentence 
here  And  now.  You  have  pleaded  guilty  to  murder 
in  th<i  first  degree,  and  it  only  remains  for  me  to 
carry  </ut  the  provisions  of  the  law.  It  remains  for 
otners  to  say  whether  the  sentence  is  carried  out. 
Robert  Ford,  stand  up," 

Robert  did  as  commanded. 

"  Have  you  anything  to  say  why  sentence  should 
not  be  pronounced  upon  you." 


356  llie  Life  of  Frank  and  Jesse  James. 

''Nothing/'  responded  the  prisoner. 

*'  Robert  Ford,"  said  the  judge,  *'  you  have  pleaded 
guilty  before  this  court  to  che  crime  of  murder  in 
the  first  degree,  and  it  becomes  my  duty  to  pass  the 
sentence  of  death  upon  you.  It  is  therefore  the 
sentence  of  this  court  that  you  be  taken  to  the 
.Buchanan  county  jail,  and  there  safely  kept  until 
the  19th  day  of  May,  1882,  and  at  that  time  to  be 
taken  to  a  convenient  place  and  hanged  by  the  neck 
till  you  are  dead." 

Robert  then  took  his  seat,  and  Charles  was  com- 
manded to  stand  up.  The  same  sentence  was  then 
passed  upon  him,  and  then  the  two  were  taken  back 
to  the  jail. 

On  the  morning  of  the  18th,  an  unconditional  par- 
don was  issued  for  both  the  Fords,  by  Gov.  Thomas 
T.  Crittenden.  Sheriff  Thomas  at  once  liberated  the 
boys,  who  shook  hands  with  the  guards  and  many 
of  the  spectators.  Robert's  liberty  was  very  short- 
lived. The  smile  of  complacency  had  hardly  faded 
from  his  face,  when  Sheriff  Trigg,  of  Ray  County, 
placed  his  hand  upon  Robert  Ford  and  said  "You 
are  my  prisoner  I " 

He  then  read  a  warrant  for  his  arrest,  charging 
him  with  the  murder,  or  comnlicitv  in  the  murder 
of  Wood  Hite,  whose  body  was  found  a  week  or  ten 
days  ago,  in  an  old  well,  on  the  Ford  farm. 

Ford  was  evidently  taken  aback,  and  with  a  heavy 
sigh  he  said,  '*  Is  that  so?  " 

In  a  brief  conversation  he  asserted  his  perfect 
innocence  in  the  matter,  and,  after  the  first  surprise 


Je&se  s  Armory— In  Memorimn.  35? 

of  the  arrest  was  over,  he  did  not  manifest  any  un- 
eiasiness.     Sheriff  Trigg  took  his  prisoner  to  Kansas 
City,  and  thence  to  Richmond,  where  he  will  be 
speedily  tried. 
Charles  Ford  was  permitted  to  go  free. 


JESSE'S   ARMORY. 

After  the  trial,  Mrs.  Jesse  James  went  from 
Kearney  to  St.  Joseph,  where  the  guns,  revolvers, 
and  other  paraphenalia  of  the  bandit's  life,  held  in 
charge  by  Marshal  Craig,  were,  by  the  order'of  Gov. 
Crittenden,  handed  over  to  Jesse's  widow.  The 
armory  is  said  to  be  worth  from  $500  to  $700. 


IN  MEMORIAM-JESSE  JAMES. 

The  following  dirge,  published  in  the  Chicago 
Times  of  April  19th,  may  serve  to  show  that  there 
are  not  a  few  who  regard  the  dead  bandit  as  a  hero: 

Sadly,  in  the  early  Spring  time 

Did  we  lay  him  away  to  rest, 
Away  from  this  cold,  unfeeling  climo. 

Safe  away  among  the  blest. 

No  more  now  w411  he  be  hunted 

By  his  enemies  so  bad, 
All  his  young  life  abruptly  blunted, 

Ah !  'tis  sad,  'tis  very  sad ! 


358  The  Life  of  Frank  and  Jesse  Jamea, 

Why  did  they  kill  him  thus  ?    So  sudden 
Why  pin  him  on  death's  awful  lance? 

Why  pluck  the  flower  just  in  its  budding, 
Why  didn't  they  give  poor  Jesse  a  chance/ 

How  much  worse  were  they  who  killed  him. 
The  brand  of  Cain  is  on  their  brow, 

Oh  how  sad  that  they  have  stilled  him; 
But  Jesse  is  in  Abrain's  bosom  now. 

His  sisters,  children,  wife  and  mother, 
Shed  their  tears  like  floods  of  rain— 

And  his  poor,  wandering  brother, 
We  may  never  see  again. 

Oh  !  this  is  bitter,  bitter,  bitter— 
That  the  Lord  should  permit  such  wrong. 

Think  now  of  the  lonely  sitter — 

His  mother  singing  out  her  wailing  song. 

Of  her  sainted  boy  gone  before. 

Gone  and  left  them  all  behind, 
Weeping  tears  of  sorrow  so  sore, 

Wafted  to  him  on  the  wind. 

Rest  thee.  Jesse,  rest  thee,  rest, 

Know  thy  friends  down  here  below. 

While  thou  art  in  the  land  that's  blest, 
Will  not  forget  the  terrible  blow. 

They  feel  that  thou  lookeet  from  above 
In  that  land  of  peace  and  beauty, 

And  wilt  give  them  thy  own  richest  love 
li  they  will  do  then*  duty. 

Farewell,  farewell,  we  see  you  there 
Beckoning  with  thj^  own  dear  hand  ; 

And  with  the  angels  ever  bright  and  fair, 
We  will  meet  you  in  that  heavenly  land  • 


Tin;    I'uiiii    .\  1    jfii-:    Ijj.i'k  Cut. 


THE 


LIFE,  CHAKACTEK  AM)  l)AKli\(;  EXPLOITS 


UP  THE 


Younger  Brothers, 


WITH  A  SKETCH    OF   THE  L/FK    OF   HEXL'Y  W.    VOLXGEI?.    FATHEH 

OF  THE   rorXOEh'  BHOTHEIiS.   WHO   WAS  ASSASSINATED 

AMj  liOBBEU  BY  A  BAND  OF  JA  Y HAWKEHS. 


ALSO, 


The  War  Record  of  Ouantrell. 


OVRING     THE    THREE    YEARS    THAT    rOI.E   AND    JAMES    Yoi'Nh'E/i 

WERE  wrrn  him. 


BY 

AUGUSTUS    C.    APPLER 

Late  Editor  of  the  Osceola.  Mo.,  Democrat. 


CHICAGO,  NEW  YORK,  SAN  FRANCISCO  : 

BELFORD,  CLARKE  &  CO, 

1889. 


Entered  according  to  Act  of  Congress,  in  the  year  1875.  by 

AUGUSTUS     C.     APPL.ER, 

In  the  Office  o-f  the  Librarian  of  Congress,  at  Washington,  D.  0. 


INTRODUCTION. 


In  coming  before  the  public  with  a  work  of  this  char- 
acter, the  author  deems  it  unnecessary  to  offer  an 
apology  for  its  appearance.  The  names  of  the  principal 
characters  herein  mentioned,  the  Younger  Brothers,  are 
familiar  to  every  reader  of  newspapers  throughout  the 
country.  This  volume  is  not  a  romance,  drawn  from 
imagination,  but  a  plain,  unvarnished  history  of  facta 
and  incidents  that  have  actually  ocurred,  the  names  herein 
given  being  real,  not  fictitious,  and  nearly  all  of  whom 
are  living  at  this  time. 

The  author  of  this  book  has  been  a  resident  of  St. 
Clair  county,  Missouri,  the  past  four  years.  This 
county  is,  or  at  least  has  been,  partially  the  home  of  the 
Younger  Brothers,  ever  since  the  late  war,  and  at  the 
present  time  they  have  many  relatives  and  intimate 
friends  residing  here,  with  most  of  whom  I  am  personally 
acquainted,  and  from  whom  I  have  obtained  much  oi 
the  subject  matter  in  this  book.  I  have  also  had  several 
interviews  with  the  Younger  Brothers,  in  regard  to  the 
various  charges  made  against  them.  I  have  devoted 
much  time  during  the  past  eighteen  months  in  getting 
up  this  history,  ever  keeping  in  view  truth  and  impar- 
tiality.    But  few  persons  know  the  whereabouts  of  the 


VI  INTRODUCTION. 

Younger  Brothers  at  any  time,  where  they  go  or  when 
they  will  return.  And  those  who  have  their  confidence 
seldom  allow  themselves  to  be  driwn  into  conversation 
about  them.  Thus  it  will  be  seen  that  it  is  no  easy  mat- 
ter to  obtain  reliable  information  in  regard  to  them. 

It  is  not  my  desire  or  wish  to  shield  these  men  from 
any  depredations  they  may  have  committed,  or  to  in  the 
least  influence  public  opinion  in  their  favor,  but  simply 
to  give  facts  and  incidents  in  conneciion  with  their  lives, 
leaving  the  public  to  judge  for  themselves  of  the  manner 
of  men  they  are,  and  of  their  guilt  ci  innocence  of  the 
many  crimes  charged  against  them. 

As  the  reader  is  aware,  almost  the  entire  newspaper 
press  of  the  country  has,  from  time  to  time,  during  the 
past  few  years,  devoted  much  time  and  space  to  these 
notable  characters,  while  many  of  the  articles  which  have 
found  their  way  into  the  columns  of  leading  journals 
throughout  the  country.  North,  South,  East  and  West, 
were  the  grossest  misrepresentations.  Every  species  of 
rascality  and  deviltry  committed  in  Missouri  and  adjoin- 
ing States,  has  either  been  charged  upon  them  directly, 
or  they  were  accused  of  belonging  to  the  band  of  out- 
laws who  perpetrated  the  crimes,  and  shared  in  the 
spoils,  while  it  was  known  to  many  persons  in  Missouri 
and  elsewhere,  that  the  Younger  Brothers  were  hun- 
dreds of  miles  away  from  the  scenes  of  lawlessness  at 
the  time,  and  were  innocent  of  any  complicity  in  the 
crime.  That  these  men  are  brave  and  daring  fellows,  no 
one  acquainted  with  them  will  deny.  It  cannot  be  said 
that  they  court  danger,  but  never  avoid  it  when  fairly 
met.     Their  Hves,  from  early  boyhood,  bi^^e  beeT)  one 


INl'BODUOTION. 

continued  series  of  hairbreadth  and  miraculous  escapes, 
many  times  receiving  serious  and  dangerous  wounds, 
barely  escaping  with  their  lives. 

A  little  over  twelve  months  ago  one  of  these  boys, 
John  Younger,  was  killed  in  an  encounter  with  two  of 
Pinkerton's  Chicago  Detectives,  near  Monegaw  Springs, 
St.  Clair  county,  Missouri.  From  that  time  until  the 
present,  at  least  so  far  as  the  public  have  had  any  knowl- 
edge of  them,  the  Younger  Brothers  have  not  been  in 
any  difficulty,  and  but  little  has  been  said  about  them, 
save  that  they  were  seen  in  different  parts  of  the 
country,  yet  when  the  reader  comes  to  peruse  this  work 
he  will  find  that  for  several  months  thereafter  the  re- 
maining three  brothers  were  engaged  in  almost  every-day 
fighting,  having  been  pursued  and  hunted  down  like  wild 
beasts.  These  facts  we  gathered  from  one  of  their  most 
intimate  fiiends,  to  whom  the  boys  related  their  trials 
and  difficulties. 

In  the  preparation  of  this  work,  at  times,  we  have  en- 
deavored to  give,  as  near  as  possible,  the  exact  language 
of  the  boys  in  relating  incidents  in  their  lives,  making  it 
just  what  it  is  intended  to  be,  a  plain,  unvarnished  his- 
tory of  things  that  occurred  during  and  since  the  war. 
The  intimate  friends  of  these  boys  have  always  claimed 
that  they  did  nothing  more  than  what  was  either  forced 
upon  them  by  personal  enemies,  or  resulted  from  bad 
feeling  growing  out  of  the  late  war — the  murdering  of 
their  father  in  cold  blood,  by  a  band  of  Jayhawkers,  and 
then  robbing  him  of  a  considerable  amount  of  money? 
the  brutal  and  inhuman  treatment  received  by  theii 
widowed  mother,  Ac 


Vin  INTRODUCTION. 

Three  of  these  boys  are  still  living,  namely,  Thomas 
Coleman,  James  Henry  and  Robert  Ewing  Younger. 

In  conclusion,  believing  that  the  public  mind  was  ripe 
for  a  reliable  work  of  this  kind,  this  volume  is  presented. 
The  leading  characters  are  the  Younger  Brothers,  yet 
the  reader  will  find  that  other  noted  persons  are  referred 
to,  such  as  Quantrell,  a  famous  bushwhacker  during  the 
war,  the  James  Boys,  Arthur  McCoy,  &c.,  and,  taken  to- 
gether, will  go  to  make  up  much  of  the  unwritten  his- 
tory of  the  late  war,  both  in  Missouri  and  Kansas,  as 
also  the  leading  incidents  of  outlawry  the  past  six  years 
in  the  West. 

The  author  of  this  work  possesses  facilities  for  obtain- 
ing reliable  information  in  regard  to  the  Younger  Broth- 
ers, enjoyed  by  but  few,  and  much  of  the  matter  herein 
contained  was  sketched  by  Cole  Younger  himself,  and 
merely  written  out  more  in  detail.  This  is  the  only  work 
giving  the  lives  of  these  men  ever  published. 

THE  AUTHOR. 

OacKOLi^  St.  Clair  County,  Mo. 


HENRY  W.  YOUNGER 


Col.  Henry  Washington  Younger,  father  of 
the  Younger  Brothers,  was  horn  in  Crab  Or- 
chard, Kentucky.  He  moved  to  Missouri  with 
his  father  when  quite  a  young  man,  setthng  in 
Jackson  county.  About  the  year  1830  he  mar- 
ried Miss  Busheba  Fristo.  The  union  thus 
formed  proved  a  happy  and  contented  one, 
both  parties  being  greatly  attached  to  each 
other,  and  they  raised  a  very  large  family  of 
children,  fourteen  in  number,  eight  girls  and 
six  boys.  All,  save  three,  lived  until  they  grew 
to  womanhood  and  manhood. 

Col.  Younger  figured  conspicuously  in  poh- 
fcics,  and  was  for  a  number  of  years  Judge  of 
the  County  Court  of  Jackson  county,  and  at 
one  time  a  member  of  the  Missouri  Legislature, 

The  names  of  the  boys  who  hved  to  the  age 
of  majority  were  Richard,  Thomas  Coleman, 
James  Henry,  John  and  Robert  Ewing  Younger. 
All  but  two  of  the.  girls  reached  womanhood, 
and  nearly  all  married  men   of  standing  and 


10  HKNRY    W.    YOUNGER. 

wealth,  four  of  whom  are  now  living  in  dilf brent 
parts  of  the  country. 

Col.  Henry  W.  Younger  continued  to  reside 
in  Jackson  county,  Missouri,  until  1858,  when 
he  moved  near  Harrisonville,  in  Cass  county, 
Missouri.  He  was  a  very  active  business  man. 
He  dealt  largely  in  stock,  was  quite  an  exten- 
sive farmer,  and  largely  engaged  in  merchandis- 
ing. In  1861  he  had  a  large  Uvery  stable  in 
Harrisonville,  and  owned  some  of  the  best 
blooded  stock  in  the  west.  He  was  very  suc- 
cessful in  business,  and  at  the  time  of  his  death 
was  thought  to  be  worth  over  $100,000,  which, 
at  that  time  was  considered,  in  that  section  of 
country,  a  very  wealthy  man.  He  owned  two 
large  and  highly  improved  farms,  one  of  about 
600  acres  in  Jackson  county,  ten  miles  south  of 
Independence,  Missouri,  and  one  adjoining  the 
town  of  Harrisonville,  in  Cass  county,  Missouri, 
He  also  carried  on  merchandising  in  Harrison- 
ville. 

When  the  war  broke  out  Col.  Younger  was  a 
staunch  Union  man.  The  Kansas  troubles,  a 
few  years  previous  to  the  late  "  unpleasantness  " 
between  the  Northern  and  Southern  States,  crea- 
ted considerable  ill-feehng  between  the  citizens 
on  the  borders  of  Kansas  and  Missouri ,  growing 
out  of  the  attempt,  on  the  part  of  MissouriaaiB, 


HENKY   W.    YOUNGEB.  11 

to  make  Kansas  a  slave  State.  This  sectional 
feeling  continued  to  ripen  and  increase,  from 
year  to  year,  and  the  breaking  out  of  the  war 
caused  an  open  ruptui-e  all  along  the  hne  be- 
tween those  States.  The  Missourians  who 
took  part  in  this  matter  were  termed  Guerrillas, 
while  those  of  Kansas  were  designated  Jayhawk- 
ers.  The  Jayhawkers,  as  is  well  known,  were 
headed  by  Jim  Lane,  Jennison,  Montgomery, 
Anthony,  etc.,  whose  names,  years  ago,  before 
the  late  war,  were  famiUar  to  the  country.  To 
the  Guerrillas,  anything  across  the  Kansas  bor- 
der was  lawful  prey,  while  the  Jayhawkers  of 
Kansas  knew  no  distinction  among  the  people 
of  Missouri.  With  the  echo  of  the  first  gun 
fired  on  Fort  Sumpter,  the  dogs  of  war  were 
let  loose  all  along  the  Missouri  and  Kansas  bor- 
der. Jennison  and  his  band  of  Jayhawkers 
went  through  Jackson  and  other  border  coun- 
ties of  Missouri,  sacking  and  burning,  while  the 
Missourians,  under  the  lead  of  Quantrell,  finally 
sacked  and  burned  the  town  of  Lawrence, 
Kansas. 

Jennison,  in  one  of  his  raids  into  Missouri, 
passed  through  Jasper,  Jackson  and  Cass  coun- 
ties, going  as  far  as  the  town  of  IlarrisonviUe,  at 
which  time  he  sacked  and  bui'ned  n^ost  of  the 
town,  then  the  home  of  Col.  Henry  W   V  (v?  n^er, 


12  HENRY    W.    YOUNGEB. 

who,  although  a  firm  Union  man,  was  one  of  Jen- 
nison's  special  victims.  Several  thousand  dol- 
lars worth  of  vehicles  from  his  extensive  hvery 
stable  were  carried  off,  and  forty  head  of 
blooded  horses  were  confiscated,  making  his 
loss  on  this  single  occasion  about  $20,000. 
Col.  Harry  Younger,  however,  managed  to 
escape  the  clutches  of  the  Jayhawkers. 

From  that  time  on.  Col.  Younger  was  shad- 
owed from  place  to  place,  and  being  a  very 
wealthy  man,  who  usually  carried  with  liim  large 
amounts  of  money,  the  Jayhawkers  intended, 
the  first  opportunity,  to  murder  and  rob  him. 
About  the  first  of  September,  18G2,  it  became 
known  that  he  would  come  into  possession  of  a 
considerable  amount  of  money,  and  that  lie  was 
to  go  to  Independence  on  a  certain  day  to  get 
it  and  bring  it  to  Harrison viLle.  He  went,  in 
his  buggy,  at  the  appointed  time,  and  parties 
laid  in  wait  for  him  to  return.  x\ccordingly, 
when  near  Harrisonville,  he  was  halted  by 
about  ten  men,  shot  dead  in  his  buggy,  then 
robbed  and  left  lying  in  the  road.  Previous  to 
starting,  Col.  Y^'ounger  had  taken  the  precaution 
to  place  in  his  belt,  which  he  carried  buckled 
around  his  body  underneath  his  clothing,  all 
of  his  money  except  four  hundred  doUavs, 
which  he  placed  in  his  pocket  book.     This  the 


HENRY    W.    YOUNGER.  13 

Jayhawkers  got,  uofc  supposing  he  had  any 
more  with  him.  When  his  murder  became 
known,  the  body  was  given  in  charge  of  his 
wife,  and  on  preparing  it  for  decent  burial,  the 
remainder  of  his  money  was  found  in  the  belt 
where  he  had  placed  it,  which  was  taken  charge 
of  by  his  wife. 

At  another  time  the  widow,  and  mother  of  a 
large  family  of  children,  was  forced  to  fire  her 
own  house  with  her  own  hands  at  midnight, 
the  flames  arising  from  which  lit  up  the  road  as 
the  Jayhawkers  rode  of.  From  that  time  on, 
the  Youngers  were  considered  outlawed ;  one  of 
the  boys,  Thomas  Coleman  Younger,  shortly 
after  joining  the  forces  of  Quantrell,  and  mak- 
ing it  hvely  for  Jayhawkers  wherever  he  came 
across  them. 

After  the  burning  of  the  house  in  Cass  county, 
the  mother  gathered  together  her  small  chil- 
dren in  a  mere  shanty  in  Lafayette  county, 
Missouri,  where  she  passed  the  winter.  The 
Jayhawkers  followed  her  trail  as  hunters  would 
that  of  a  she  wolf  and  her  cubs.  One  night 
they  surrounded  the  shanty,  with  the  hope  of 
finding  the  older  boy,  Thomas  Coleman,  at 
home,  and  taihng  in  that,  they  chased  into  the 
brush  the  next  oldest,  James  Henry,  then  only 
fourteen  years  of  asfo. 


14  RICHARD    YOUNGER. 

From  La:fayette  county  the  remaining  help- 
less members  of  the  family  were  driven  into 
Clay  county.  Finally,  shortly  after  the  close 
of  the  war,  the  mother  sickened  and  died,  the 
result  of  the  troubles  and  trials  she  had  under- 
gone. 


RICHAED  YOUNGER. 


Richard  Younger  was  the  oldest  son  of  Henry 
W.  Younger.  He  died  in  Jackson  county,  Mis- 
souri, in  1860,  and  was  hurried  with  Masonic 
honors,  being  a  worthy  member  of  the  brother- 
hood, aged  about  23  years.  He  died  shortly 
after  graduating,  and  those  who  knew  him,  re- 
garded him  as  a  very  promising  young  man,  a,nd 
one  who  possessed  considerable  ability  for  his 
age.  Had  he  Hved,  he,  doubtless,  would  have 
endured  many  of  the  trials  and  hardships  which 
fell  to  the  lot  of  his  younger  brothers.  For  re- 
sentment is  characteristic  of  human  nature,  and 
it  is  not  reasonable  to  suppose  that,  had  he  hved, 
he  would  have  sat  quietly  by  and  seen  or  known 
of  his  father  being  rusthlessly  murdered  and 
robbed,  by  a  band  of  Jayhawkers;  his  mother 
insulted,  abused,  and  compelled  to  fire  her  own 


COLE    YOUNGER.  15 

house,  driven  from  place  to  place,  and  at  length 
filling  an  untimely  grave,  without  resenting 
some  of  the  wrongs  that  were  committed  upon 
his  parents.     Such  would  be  human  nature. 


THOMAS  COLEMAN  YOUNGER. 


Much  has  been  said  and  written  about  the 
person  whose  name  heads  this  chapter.  The 
newspapers  of  the  country  have  contained  col- 
umn after  column,  the  productions  of  corres- 
pondents and  editors,  who  gave  what  was 
claimed  to  be  the  whole  unvarnished  truth, 
while  the  reading  pubhc  eagerly  grasped  after 
everything  written  and  pubhshed  about  him. 
Thousands,  it  is  to  be  presumed,  imagined  in 
their  own  minds  what  sort  of  a  creature  he 
must  needs  be.  Indeed,  we  have  seen  men 
who,  we  thought,  had  more  and  better  sense, 
assei-t  that  they  would  as  soon  meet  a  grizzly 
bear  as  Cole  Younger;  and  men  have  actually 
avoided  passing  through  St.  Clair  county,  Mis- 
souri, for  fear  they  would  meet  some  of  the  Youn- 
gers.  These  things  very  much  remind  one  of 
the  imaginations  of  persons  hving  East,  some 


16  COLE   YOUNGER. 

twenty-five  or  thirty  years  ago,  who  never  were 
West,  who  could  not  beheve  that  in  the  great 
West  there  were  any  real  comforts  and  enjoy- 
ments ;  who  imagined  that  there  was  an  Indian 
lurking  behind  every  tree  or  rock,  with  rifle  or  bow 
and  arrow  in  hand,  ready  to  shoot  down  every 
white  man  that  dared  to  venture  across  the  Mis- 
sissippi river,  West ;  who  could  not  beheve  but 
what  the  white  people  who  were  then  hving 
West,  were  more  hke  wild  beasts  than  human 
beings,  roaming  over  the  wild  prairies  in  search 
of  the  buflFalo  and  deer,  clothed  only  in  the  skins 
of  wild  animals,  and  who  could  relish  raw  meat 
as  well  as  civihzed  and  intelligent  people  meat 
that  was  properly  cooked  and  prepared.  Thou- 
sands there  are  at  the  present  day,  who  can  well 
remember  these  things,  and  we  have  no  doubt 
there  are  thousands  still  hving,  who  have  never 
been  West,  who  have  very  erroneous  ideas  of 
Western  hfe  and  Western  people;  who  cannot 
properly  realize  the  fact  that  in  the  great  West 
we  have  large  and  handsome  cities,  possessing 
every  advantage  and  every  facihty  for  enjoy- 
ment and  pleasure,  and  in  which  are  stores  that 
would  be  a  credit  and  ornament  to  any  Eastern 
city,  filled  with  the  most  costly  articles  of  mer- 
chandise. In  fact  the  West  is  the  place  to  find 
every  convenience  and  luxury  the  world  affords. 


COLE    YOUNGER.  17 

Those  who  doubt  the  truth  of  this,  we  advise  to 
come  West  and  see  for  themselves. 

A  few  months  since  a  Chicago  paper  con- 
tained quite  a  lengthy  account  of  the  cruel  man- 
ner in  which  Cole  Younger  was  treated  by  the 
Jayhawkers  at  Harrison ville,  Cass  county,  Mis- 
souri, in  1861.  The  whole  story  was  one  of  wild 
imagination,  without  the  least  semblance  of 
truth  in  it.  Cole  Younger  never  was  captured 
during  the  war,  neither  was  he  ever  hung  up, 
whipped,  or  harmed  in  any  way,  although  he 
would,  undoubtedly,  have  been  killed,  had  he 
not  left  home  the  very  day  he  did. 

Cole  Younger  remained  at  home  until  the  fall 
or  winter  of  18G1,  when  Neugent's  men  were 
stationed  at  Harrisonville,  in  Cass  county,  Mis- 
souri, having  up  to  this  time  taken  no  part  or  lot  in 
the  war  that  was  then  going  on.  He  frequently 
visited  parties  where  the  Missouri  State  Militia 
were,  and  all  went  pleasantly  and  smoothly 
along.  At  one  of  these  parties,  however,  which 
was  held  at  the  house  of  Col.  McKee,  a  little 
jealousy  seemed  to  spring  up  between  Cole 
Younger  and  a  militia  Captain  named  Irvin 
Walley.  A  sister  of  Cole  Younger,  who  was 
present  at  the  party,  refused  to  dance  with  Wal- 
ley, which  nettled  him  very  much.  Cole  Young- 
er, on  this  occasion,  seemed  to  enjoy  liimseU 

B 


18  COLE   YOUNGER. 

very  mnoh,  more  than  usual,  and  monopolized 
the  time  and  attention  of  the  belle  of  the  even- 
ing, much  to  the  chagrin  and  mortification  of 
Walley,  who  conceived  the  idea  that  because  he 
ranked  as  a  mihtia  Captain  he  was  superior  to 
any  citizen  or  common  soldier.  Walley  seemed 
uneasy  the  whole  evening,  and  showed  signs  of 
a  determination  to  create  a  difiiculty  with  Cole 
Younger.  Finally,  Walley  was  heard  to  make 
the  remark  that ' '  Soldiers  would  stand  no  chance 

until  they  took  that  d n  Younger  boy  out." 

This  information  being  told  to  Younger,  he  be- 
came satisfied  that  his  presence  was  creating 
bad  feehng,  and  that  he  was  not  wanted  there, 
and  he  finally  withdrew  and  went  home,  hoping 
thereby  to  avoid  a  difiiculty,  and  thus  be  en- 
abled to  remain  at  home,  assist  his  father  in 
business  and  keep  clear  of  the  war.  Even  after 
he  left  the  house  Walley  seemed  not  to  be  satis- 
fied, but  threatened  death  to  Cole  Younger. 

When  Cole  Younger  reached  home  he  told 
his  father  what  had  happened,  and  said  he  feared 
the  end  was  not  yet,  as  Walley  seemed  deter- 
mined to  have  a  difficulty.  His  father  then  ad- 
vised him  to  go  down  on  the  farm  in  Jackson 
county  and  raise  a  crop,  thinking  that  when 
there  he  would  be  secure  from  the  enmity  of 
Walley,  and  be  able  to  five  in  peace. 


OOLB  YOUNGER.  19 

The  following  night  Walley  and  a  party  of  his 
toen  went  to  the  house  of  Col.  Henry  Younger 
and  made  some  violent  demonstrations,  threat- 
ening to  "  Show  Cole  Younger  how  the  dancing 
went,"  but  Cole  had  left  that  day,  and  thus,  in 
all  probabihty,  avoided  being  killed,  or  kilHng 
some  one. 

Capt.  Walley  soon  learned  that  Cole  Youngei 
had  gone  to  Jackson  county,  and  at  once  de- 
termined to  report  him  as  having  joined  Quan- 
trell,  thus  hoping  to  get  up  an  excuse  to  perpe- 
trate some  deviltry  and  accomphsh  what  he 
desired.  As  the  sequel  afterwards  proved,  the 
object  of  Walley  was  to  stir  up  strife  and  give  him 
an  excuse  for  robbing  Col.  Harry  Younger,  father 
of  Cole.  All  this  time  Cole  Younger  was  busily 
engaged  on  the  farm  in  Jackson  county,  not 
suspecting  trouble  or  danger.  But  he  was  not 
long  to  remain  in  peace  and  quietude,  and  at 
length  learned  that  he  was  being  hunted  down 
by  Capt.  Walley,  w^ho  had  reported  him  as  be- 
ing with  Quantrell.  He  felt  satisfied  that  Wal- 
ley would  endeavor  to  come  upon  him  sometime 
when  he  was  not  suspecting  danger,  and  prob- 
ably murder  him  in  cold  blood.'  Finally,  one 
day  he  learned  that  Walley,  with  his  company 
of  Missouri  State  Mihtia,  was  then  on  the  way 
from  Harrison  villa  to  Jackson  county,  intend- 


20  COLE    YOCxSGEB. 

ing,  as  it  had  been  given  out,  to  capture  Cole 
Younger,  a  noted  bushwhacker.  Younger,  at 
this  time,  was  inexperienced  in  war,  and  could 
devise  no  better  means  of  escaping  the  clutches 
of  Capt.  Walley  than  to  take  to  the  brush,  well 
knowing  that  he  could  keep  out  of  his  way,  if 
nothing  else.  He  also  hoped  that  Neugent's 
men  would  be  removed  in  a  short  time,  and  that 
then  his  troubles  would  end.  He  was  without 
arms,  and  of  course  was  unable  to  do  harm.  In 
this  condition,  young,  inexperienced,  and  hav- 
ing no  ill-will  towards  any  one,  he  managed  to 
secrete  himself  among  his  relatives  for  some 
two  or  three  weeks.  During  this  time  Colonel 
Younger,  his  father,  was  endeavoring  to  settle 
the  pretended  difficulty,  (on  the  part  of  Walley,) 
between  him  and  Cole,  so  that  Cole  could  come 
home  and  remain  in  peace  and  quiet.  But  Neu- 
gent  and  Walley  were  both  intent  on  plunder, 
and  well  knowing  they  could  make  no  reason- 
able excuse  for  robbing  Col.  Harry  Younger, 
who  vras  a  staunch  Union  man,  they  resolved  to 
make  a  scape-goat  i^f  Cole  and  drive  him  to  des- 
peration, thereby  finding  a  poor  apology  of  an 
excuse  for  robbing  the  old  gentleman,  who  was 
thought  to  be  the  wealthiest  man  in  that  section 
of  the  State,  and  at  all  times  having  consider- 
able money  on  his  person  and  about  his  house. 


COLE  VOUNGER.  21 

One  day  Capt.  Walley  went  to  the  livery 
-stable  of  (3ol.  Harry  Younger  and  hired  a 
buggy  and  ])air  of  line  match  horses,  promising 
to  return  them  in  a  day  or  two.  After  gaining 
possession  of  them  he  refused  to  give  them  up, 
and  appropriated  the  whole  outfit  to  his  own 
use.  Almost  simultaneous  with  this  move- 
ment, a  raid  was  made  on  Younger's  Jackson 
county  farm,  for  the  purpose,  as  it  was  given 
out,  of  capturing  Cole  Younger,  but  really  with 
the  view  of  plunder.  Cole  was  not  there,  at 
least  they  did  not  find  him,  but  they  did  not 
hesitate  to  drive  off  all  the  stock  and  set  fire  to 
the  grain  bins.  Col.  Harry  Younger  made  but 
little  complaint  after  the  loss  and  destruction 
of  his  property,  but  continued  to  manifest  a 
great  desire  to  make  some  disposition  of  Cole 
that  would  save  trouble,  as  he  well  knew  that 
if  the  boy  once  became  thoroughly  aroused, 
already  observing  that  the  "tiger"  was  being 
developed  in  him,  that  serious  consequences 
would  follow.  His  father  advised  him  to 
remain  quiet  and  he  would  yet  make  some 
disposition  of  him  to  keep  him  out  of  trou- 
ble. He  told  his  father  that  he  "was  tired 
of  running  like  a  wild  beast,  and  would 
not  do  it  much  longer  without  hurting  some 
one."      The    old    gentleman    then    suggested 


22  COLE   YOUNGER. 

that  he  had  better  go  to  school.     To  this  Coiv- 
assented. 

At  once  arrangements  were  made  with  that 
object  in  view,  and  clothing  and  the  usual  out- 
fit prepared  for  him.  Col.  Younger  named  his 
plan  of  keeping  Cole  out  of  trouble  to  a  friend 
in  Kansas  City,  and  was  surprised  to  learn  that 
his  intentions  had  been  anticipated  and  were 
known.  His  friend  informed  liim  that  he  was 
closely  watched,  and  advised  him  not  to  attempt 
it,  as  it  might  result  fatally  to  himself.  On  his 
return  home  Col.  Younger  informed  Cole  of 
these  facts,  and  then,  for  the  first  time,  he 
seemed  fully  aroused,  saying,  "It's  all  right,  I 
will  fight  them  awhile,  then!" 

HE    JOINS    QUANTRELL. 

Cole  Y^ounger  had  frequently  heard  of  Quan- 
trell,  and  at  once  determined  to  risk  his  chances 
with  him,  and  immediately  started  in  search 
of  his  camp,  finding  him  on  the  Little  Blue,  in 
Jackson  county,  Missouri.  He  went  without 
arms,  but  remained  only  a  short  time  before  a 
fight  occurred,  at  which  time  he  succeeded  in 
getting  arms  from  a  dead  Federal.  Thus,  on 
the  20th  of  April,  1862,  Coleman  Younger  was, 
for  the  first  time,  an  armed  soldier. 

JOINS    THE    CONFEDERATE    ARMY. 

Early  in  the  fall  of  1864,  during  the  last  raid 


COLE   YOUNGER.  23 

of  Gen.  Price  into  Missouri,  Cole  Younger 
joined  the  Confederate  x\rniy  and  went  South 
with  Price  on  liis  return.  He  was  afterwards 
elected  Ca])tain  of  a  company,  and  the  follow- 
ing winter  took  his  men  and  went  into  Louis- 
iana, where  he  remained  until  the  close  of  the 
war,  which  was  in  the  spring  of  1865." 

GOES    TO    MEXICO. 

After  the  close  of  the  war  Cole  Younger  and 
fifteen  of  the  men  helonging  to  his  company 
went  to  Mexico.  After  remaining  in  Mexico 
about  two  months,  he  and  several  of  the  men 
sailed  for  California,  the  others  taking  the 
overland  route  for  the  same  ])oint.  Cole 
remained  in  California  until  the  fall  of  1866, 
when  he  returned  to  the  States,  stopping  in 
Jackson  county,  Missouri,  near  Blue  Mills,  on 
the  farm  of  his  mother,  and  went  to  work 
making  rails,  the  greater  portion  of  the  fencing 
having  been  destroyed  during  the  war.  John 
and  Eobert  were  at  home  when  he  arrived,  but 
James  had  not  yet  returned,  having  been 
captured  in  Kentucky  with  Quantrell,  at  the 
time  Quantrell  was  mortally  wounded  and  cap- 
tured. James  returned  sliortly  afterwards, 
however,  and  all  the  boys  weut  to  w^ork  to  fix 
up  the  farm. 


24  COLE    YOUNGEK. 

AT    HOME. 

As  previously  mentioned,  Cole  Younger  re- 
turned home  from  California  in  the  fall  of  1866, 
as  did  also  James.  They  had  not  been  home 
long  until  the  Missouri  Militia,  together  with 
the  Kansas  Jayhawkers,  who  then  held  all  the 
offices  in  the  border  counties,  began  to  organize 
into  bands  or  Vigilant  Committees,  as  some 
termed  them,  for  the  purpose  of  intimidating 
those  of  the  opposition, -and  eventually  driving 
them  from  their  homes.  Their  ears  were  con- 
tinually assailed  with  tlireats  of  murder  and 
mob  violence.  By  the  following  sjiring  it 
become  absolutely  dangerous,  for  Cole  Younger 
especially,  to  stay  at  home,  and  he  then  left 
and  went  to  Lee's  Summit,  in  order  to  be  out 
of  the  way  and  avoid  assassination.  Becoming 
tired  of  loitering  around  town  idle,  shortly 
afterAvards  he  went  to  Louisiana,  where  he 
remained  during  the  summer  of  1867.  In  the 
meantime,  James,  John  and  Eobert  remained 
at  home  and  cultivated  their  mother's  farm. 

In  the  fall  Cole,  tlnnking  that  probably  the 
bitter  feeling  against  him  had  subsided,  returned 
home  and  went  to  work  on  the  farm.  He  built 
his  mother  a  house,  fixed  the  place  up  as 
best  he  could,  and  prepared  to  live  with 
her  the  remnant  of  her  days.     Cole  bore  no  iU- 


COLE   YOUNGER.  25 

will  toward  any  one,  and  was  willing  to  "  bury 
the  hatchet  "  and  forget  the  past.  But  not  so 
with  his  enemies.  There  was  but  a  short 
res])ite.  The  old  and  bitter  feeling  against 
QuantreH's  men,  the  "  bushwackers,"  as  they 
were  commonly  called,  began  to  manifest  itself 
in  acts  of  violence.  As  heretofore  mentioned, 
all  the  offices  of  honor,  profit  or  trust,  under  the 
then  semi-civil,  semi-mihtary  rule  in  the  border 
counties,  were  held  by  Kansas  Jayhawkers  and 
the  old  Missouri  State  Militia,  of  Neugent's 
regiment.  These  men  nursed  a  deadly  hatred 
against  every  one  of  Quantrell'smen,  especially 
against  tliose  who  were  most  prominent  and 
officers,  such  as  Cole  Youjiger  had  been.  The 
Jayhawkers,  under  the  shadow  of  official  au- 
thority, committed  murder  with  impunity. 
This  gave  them  a  fine  opportiuiity  to  take 
revenge  upon  their  personal  enemies,  and  they 
improved  the  opportunity.  They  murdered 
William,  commonly  called  "Bill"  Eeynolds, 
Al.  Shepherd,  and  others  of  Quantrell's  men. 
They  arrested  George  Maddox  and  Paine  Jones, 
sent  them  to  Lawrence,  Kansas,  and  incarcer- 
ated them  in  a  filthy  jail  for  many  months, 
without  a  shadow  of  a  charge  against  them, 
except  that  they  had  served  imder  Quantrel] 
and  followed  his  fortunes    through  the  war. 


26  COLE    YOUNGER. 

Dick  Burns  was  murdered,  and  Bill  Hulse  was 
shot  down  while  at  work  in  a  harvest  Held,  and 
left  for  dead.  Thus,  one  by  one,  Quan troll's 
men  were  disposed  of,  until  it  was  apparent 
that  there  would  be  none  left  to  tell  the  tale. 
At  length  there  was  organized  at  Pleasant  Hill, 
in  Cass  county,  a  company  of  those  Jayhawkers, 
under  the  command  of  one  Timberlick,  a  Kan- 
sas red-leg,  and  who  was  at  the  time  acting  as 
Deputy  Sheriff,  under  one  R.  S.  Judy,  one  of 
Neugent's  militia,  and  who  had  an  imi^lacable 
hatred  against  Cole  Younger.  The  company 
was  made  up  of  the  very  worst  men  in  that 
vicinity;  men  who  were  ever  ready  to  perpe- 
trate almost  any  crime,  murder  not  excepted. 
They  designed  to  capture,  and  doubtless  mur- 
der, Cole  Younger.  They  passed  through  Lee's 
Summit  one  day,  creating  a  reign  of  terror  in 
that  little  town,  and  went  to  the  widow  Wig- 
inton's  and  took  her  son  George,  another  of 
Quantrell's  men,  abused  him  shamefully,  and 
then  took  him  along  with  them  as  a  guide  and 
decoy,  through  whom  they  hoped  to  capture 
Cole  Younger.  Fortunately  for  him,  and  per- 
haps for  some  of  them.  Cole  was  not  at  home 
at  the  time,  but  three  miles  away,  at  the  house 
of  his  brother-in-law.  They  then  abused  the 
family  and  compelled  them  to  get  supper  for 


COLE    YOUNGER.  27 

them,  after  which  they  left,  taking  with  them 
John  Younger,  tlien  a  mere  hoy,  wliom  they 
thought  they  conhl  force  to  tell  the  whereahouts 
of  Cole  Younger.  They  threw  a  ro])e  around 
]ii8  neck,  heat  him  with  their  pistols,  and  other- 
wise maltreated  liim,  yet  they  failed  to  force 
liim  to  give  them  any  information.  Such  treat- 
ment as  this  is  wliat  forced  James  and  John  to 
leave  home. 

Another  similar  attempt  to  capture  and  mur- 
der Cole  Younger  was  made  hy  a  party  hailing 
from  Independence,  with  a  like  result.  Cole 
saw  that  it  was  impossihle  for  him  to  live  at 
home  in  peace.  And  the  other  boys  had  been 
so  ill  treated  that  they,  tocf,  were  afraid  to  stay 
at  home,  and  finally  Cole  took  the  other  two 
boys,  James  and  John,  and  started  for  Texas, 
where  he  prepared  a  home  for  his  mother  and 
sister,  to  which  he  intended  to  remove  them, 
together  with  a  black  woman,  Sue,  who  had 
remained  faithful  and  true  to  them  through  all 
their  trials  and  troubles,  and  is,  to  this  day.  In 
the  meantime  their  mother,  who  was  not  able 
to  go  to  Texas  with  them,  and  who  never  did 
recover  from  her  illness,  consumption,  had  to 
break  up  housekeeping,  and,  with  her  little  girl 
and  negro  woman,  went  to  live  with  her  son-in- 
law,  where  she  finally  wasted  away,  and  died  at 


28  COLE    YOUNGEE. 

the  residence  of  Lycurgus  Jones,  in  June,  1870, 
while  her  sons  were  far  away  preparing  a  home 
for  her  in  her  old  age. 

Coleman  and  James  returned  during  the 
summer  and  took  their  sister  and  the  negro 
w^oman  to  Texas,  where  we  shall  leave  them  for 
the  present. 

In  February,  1875,  Thomas  Coleman  Younger 
was  32  years  of  age. 

FIGHT   AT   A   HORSE   EACE    IN   LOUISIANA. 

In  1869  Cole  Younger,  in  the  course  of  one 
of  his  roving  freaks,  found  himself  in  one  of  the 
interior  parishes  of  Louisiana,  and  attended  a 
horse  race.  The  great,  gaunt,  awkward  Mis- 
sourian  had  money  with  him,  the  result  of  a  suc- 
cessful cattle  speculation.  The  crowd  intuitively 
recognized  the  presence  of  the  money,  and  fixed 
upon  Cole  Younger  for  their  prey.  They  bad- 
geredhim,  pressed  around  him  with  sharp  words, 
and  finally  forced  the  borderer  into  the  horse 
race.  Younger  had  one  of  the  famous  long 
limbed,  blue  grass  breed  of  racers,  an  animal 
not  fair  to  look  upon,  but  of  great  speed  and 
bottom.  He  put  every  dollar  he  had  upon  his 
horse — $700.  The  money  was  placed  in  the 
hands  of  a  storekeeper  close  by  the  track.  All 
the  time  that  Younger  was  preparing  for  the 


COLE   YOUNGER.  29 

raqe,  the  crowd  ])resse(l  around,  flinging  insult- 
ing epitliets  and  abusive  suggestions  at  their 
victim.  The  JVfissoaviaji  niuttei'ed  a  request 
that  tliey  should  wait  until  after  the  race  for  the 
shooting  to  begin,  but  the  crowd  paid  no  atten- 
tion. Finally  Cole  Younger  announced  his 
readint-ss,  and  at  the  word  the  liorses  were  off. 
As  they  came  in  on  the  last  quarter,  Younger's 
horse  was  four  lengths  ahead,  when  out  from 
the  crowd  sprang  one  of  the  bullies  with  a  wild 
yell  and  flaunted  in  the  face  of  the  winning 
steed  a  cloth.  The  horse  swerved,  lost  his 
stride,  and  came  in  second.  Y^ounger's  light 
blue  eyes  glistened  a  little,  but  he  said  not  a 
word.  He  dismounted,  groomed  his  horse,  and 
then,  remounting,  rode  to  the  stakeholder  and 
said:  "  Y^ou  saw  what  happened,  and  don't 
mean  to  give  that  fellow  my  money. ' '  With  aii 
imprecation,  the  man  in  league  with  the  crowd 
replied  that  he  did.  "  Then,"  said  Cole  Y^oung- 
er,  ^' the  shooting  has  commenced."  The 
crowed  had  gathered  about  him,  laughing  at  his 
defeat,  and  hooting  in  derision.  Out  from  their 
holsters  came  two  dragoon  revolvers,  and  with 
one  in  each  hand  Cole  Y^ounger  emptied  them 
with  inconceivable  rapidity  into  the  mob  and 
then,  without  waiting  to  seethe  effects,  dashed 
away.  Three  of  the  crowd  were  killed  outright, 


30  COLE   YOUNGER. 

two  died  of  their  wounds,  and  five  carry  to  this 
day,  if  they  are  all  living,  the  scars  of  that  ter- 
rible revenge. 

WRITES   A   LETTER   VINDICATING    HIMSELF. 

The  Pleasant  Hill,  Missouri  Review,  of  the 
26th  of  November,  1874,  contained  the  following 
letter  from  Thomas  Coleman  Younger,  in  which 
he  endeavors  to  vindicate  himself  fi'om  the 
charges  made  against  him,  as  follows: 

HIS    LETTER. 

"DearCurg: — You  may  use  this  letter  in  your  own 
way.  I  will  give  you  this  outline  and  sketch  of  my 
whereabouts  and  actions  at  the  time  of  certain  robberies 
with  which  I  am  charged.  At  the  time  of  certain  bank 
robberies,  I  was  gathering  cattle  in  Ellis  county,  Texas, 
cattle  that  I  bought  from  Pleas  Taylor  and  Rector.  This 
can  be  proven  by  both  of  them;  also  by  Sheriff  Barkley 
and  fifty  other  respectable  men  of  that  county,  i  brought 
the  cattle  to  Kansas  that  fall  and  rem-'iined  in  St.  Clair 
county  until  February.  I  then  went  to  Arkansas  and 
returned  to  St.  Clair  county  about  the  first  of  May.  I  went 
to  Kansas  where  our  cattle  were,  in  Woodson  county,  at 
Col.  Ridge's.  During  the  summer  I  wp.s  either  in  St. 
Clair,  Jackson  or  Kansas,  but  as  there  was  no  robbery 
committed  that  summer,  it  makes  no  difference  where  I 
was. 

The  gate  at  the  fair  grounds  in  Kansas  City  was 
robbed  that  fall.  I  was  in  Jackson  county  at  the  time- 
I  left  R.    P.   Rose's   that  morning,  went  down    Ind«- 


COLE   YOUNGER.  31 

pendence  road,  .stopped  at  Dr.  Nolan .'s  and  got  some 
pills.  Brother  John  was  with  ine.  I  went  through 
Independence,  from  there  to  Ace  AVebb's.  There  I  took 
dinner  and  then  went  .to  Dr.  L.  W.  Twimau's.  Staid 
there  until  after  supper,  then  went  to  Silas  Hudspeth's 
and  staid  all  night.  This  was  the  day  the  gate  was 
robbed  at  Kansas  City.  Next  day  John  and  I  went  to 
Kansas  City.  We  crossed  the  river  at  Blue  Mills,  and 
went  upon  the  other  side.  Our  business  there  was  ia 
see  E.  P.  "West.  He  was  not  at  home,  but  the  family 
will  remember  t  :at  we  were  there.  We  crossed  on  the 
bridge,  stayed  in  the  city  all  night,  and  the  next  morn- 
ing we  rode  up  through  the  city.  I  met  several  of  my 
friends;  among  them  was  Bob  Hudspeth.  We  then 
returned  to  the  Six-mile  country  b}^  the  way  of  Inde- 
pendence. At  Big  Blue  we  met  James  Ohiler.  and  had  a 
long  talk  with  him.  I  saw  several  friends  that  were 
standing  at  or  near  the  gate,  and  they  all  said  they 
didn't  know  any  of  the  party  that  did  the  robbing 
Neither  John  nor  I  were  accused  of  the  crime  for  severaJ 
days  after.  My  name  would  never  have  been  used  in 
connection  with  this  affair,  had  not  Jesse  W.  James,  for 
some  cause,  best  known  to  himself,  published  in  the 
Kansas  City  Times,  a  letter  stating  that  John,  mysel/ 
and  he  were  accused  of  the  robber3^  Where  he  got  hia 
authont}^  I  don't  know,  but  one  thing  I  do  know,  he 
had  none  from  me.  We  were  not  on  good  terms  at  the 
time,  nor  haven't  been  for  several  years.  From  that 
time  on,  mine  and  John's  name  has  been  connected  with 
the  James  brothers.  John  hadn't  seen  either  of  them 
for  eighteen  months  before  his  death.     And  as  for  A.  0. 


52  COLE   YOUNGEB. 

McCoy,  John  never  saw  him  in  his  Ufc.  I  knew  A.  0. 
McCoy  diiiiiig  the  war,  but  have'nt  seen  him  since,  not- 
with.iianding  the  Appleton  City  papers  say  he  has  been 
with  us  in  that  county  for  two  years.  Now,  if  any  re- 
spectable man  in  that  county  will  say  ho  ever  saw  A.  C. 
McCoy  with  me  or  John,  I  will  say  no  more;  or  if  any 
respectable  man  will  say  that  he  ever  saw  any  one  with 
us  who  suited  the  description  of  A.  C'.  McCoy,  then  I  will 
be  silent  antl  never  more  plead  innocent. 

McCoy  is  48  or  4'J  years  old;  G  feet  and  over  in  height; 
dark  liair  and  blue  eyes,  and  low  forehead. 

Poor  JoliD,  he  has  been  hunted  down  and  shot  like  a 
wild  beast,  and  never  was  a  boy  more  innocent.  But 
there  is  a  day  coming  when  the  secrets  of  all  hearts 
will  be  laid  open  before  that  All-seeing  eye,  and  every 
act  of  our  lives  will  be  scrutinized,  then  will  his  skirts  be 
white  as  the  driven  snow,  wl^ile  those  of  his  accusers  will 
be  doubly  dark. 

I  will  now  come  to  the  St.  Genevieve  robbery.  At  that 
time  I  was  in  St.  Clair  county,  Missouri.  I  do  not  re- 
member the  date,  but  Mr.  Murphy,  one  of  our  neij^h- 
bors,  was  sick  about  that  time,  and  I  sat  up  with  him 
regularly,  where  I  met  with  some  of  the  neighbors  every 
da}'.     Dr.  L.  Lewis  was  his  physician. 

As  to  the  Ohio  train  rtjbbery,  I  have  forgotten  the 
day,  I  was  also  in  St.  Clair  county,  Missouri,  at  that 
time,  and  had  the  pleasure  of  attending  preaching  the 
eveniug  previous  to  the  robbery,  at  Monegaw  Springs. 
There  were  fifty  or  a  hundred  persons  there  who  will 
testify  in  any  court  that  I  and  John  were  there.  I  will 
give  you  the  names  of  some  of  them  :   Simeon  C.  Bruce, 


COLE  YOUNGEE.  33 

John  3.  Wiiftoti,  James  Van  Allen,  Rev.  Mr.  Smith  and 
lady;  Helvin  FicKle  and  lady,  of  Greenton  Valley,  were 
attending  the  Springs  at  that  time,  and  either  of  them 
will  testify  to  the  above,  for  John  and  I  sat  in  front  of 
Mr.  Smith  while  he  \vas  preaching,  and  had  the  pleasi  re 
of  his  cpiiipany  for  a  few  moments,  together  with  lis 
lady,  and  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Fi«kle,  after  service.  They  live 
at  Greenton  Valley,  Lafayette  county,  Missouri,  and 
their  evidence  would  be  taken  in  the  Court  of  Heaven. 
As  there  was  no  other  robbery  committed  until  January, 
I  will  come  to  that  time.  About  the  last  of  December, 
1873,  I  arrived  in  Carroll  parish,  Louisiana.  I  stayed 
there  until  the  8th  of  February,  1874.  I  and  brother 
stayed  at  Wm.  Dickerson's,  near  Floyd.  Dickerscn 
was  Master  of  a  Masonic  Lodge,  and  during  the  tin. 
the  Shreveport  stage  and  the  Hot  Springs  stage  wsa 
robbed;  also  the  Gad's  Hill  robbery.  Now,  if  the  Gov- 
ernor or  any  one  else  wants  to  satisfy  himself  in  regard 
to  the  above  he  can  write  to  the  Masonic  Fraternity, 
Floyd,  Carroll  parish,  Louisiana.  I  hope  the  leading 
journals  will  investigate  tlie  matter,  and  then,  if  they 
find  I  have  misrepresented  anything,  they  can  show  me 
up  to  the  world  as  being  guilty,  but  if  they  find  it  as  I 
have  stated  they  surely  would  have  no  objections  to  state 
the  facts  as  they  are. 

You  can  appeal  to  the  Governor  in  your  own  langUi  ge. 
and  if  he  will  send  men  to  investigate  the  above,  and  is 
not  satisfied  of  my  innocence,  then  he  can  offer  the  re- 
ward for  Thos.  Coleman  Younger,  and  if  he  finds  me  to 
be  innocent,  he  can  make  a  statement  to  that  v.Jfect.  I 
write  this  hurriedly,  and  I  suppose  I  have  given  outlines 
C 


34  COLE  YOUNGER. 

enough.     I   want-  you  to  take  pains  and  write  a  long 
letter  for  me  and  sign  my  name  in  full. 

Thos.  Coleman  Younger. 

In  order  to  test  the  truth  of  the  above  letter, 
so  far  as  the  Shreveport  stage  robbery,  the  Hot 
Sprmgs  stage  robbery,  and  the  Gad's  HiU  train 
robbery  were  concerned,  the  author  of  this 
book  wrote  to  Mr.  Wilham  Dickerson,  of  Car- 
roll parish,  Louisiana,  the  gentlemen  referred 
to  in  the  letter.  Mr.  Dickerson,  as  we  have 
learned,  is  a  gentleman  of  standing  and  respecta- 
bility in  Carroll  parish;  he  was,  at  the  time 
referred  to  in  Cole  Younger's  letter,  Master  of 
the  Masonic  Lodge  at  Floyd,  and  no  hesitancy 
should  be  entertained  by  the  reader  in  placing 
the  utmost  confidence  in  what  he  says.  The 
following  is  his  reply  to  our  letter,  in  full,  as  it 
was  written  by  Mr.  Dickerson,  which  is  also 
certified  to,  so  far  as  its  truth  and  correctness 
are  concerned,  by  ten  men  of  respectability  and 
standing  in  that  community.     The  letter  is  as 

follows : 

Floyd,  La.,  August  7th,  1875. 
Mr.  a.  C.  Appler,  Osceola,  Mo. : 

Dear  Sir — Yours  of  July  10th  was  received  a  few  days 
since.  In  reply  to  which  I  have  to  state  that  on  the  5th 
day  of  December,  A.  D.  1873,  the  Younger  Brothers 
arrived  at  my  house,  in  Carroll  parish,  La.,  and  remained 
there  until  the  8th  day  of  February,  A.  D.  1874,  during 


35 

which  time  Cole  Younger  was  engaged  in  wi'iting  the 
history  of  Quantrell  and  hia  own  Hfe.  While  at  my  house 
I  asked  Cole  if  he  was  a  Mason,  to  which  he  replied  in 
the  negative. 

Relative  to  the  charges  for  this  information,  I  will  say 
that  it  is  worth  nothing  unless  it  be  a  copy  of  the  work 
you  are  now  preparing  to  publish,  which  would  be  thank- 
fully received.     Yours  truly,  &c., 

Wm.  Dickerson. 

We,  the  undersigned  citizens  of  Carroll  parish,  Louisi- 
ana, and  neighbors  of  Mr.  William  Dickerson,  know  and 
believe  the  statement  of  his  above  written  regarding  the 
Younger  Brothers,  to  be  true  and  correct. 

R.  H.  Glenn,         T.  D.  McCaudless, 
W.  A.  Chapman,     W.  A.  Hendrick, 
A.  L.  Alley,  I.  L.  Cheatham, 

Chas.  H.  Webb,     O.  Herrington, 
I.  S.  Herring.        R.  I.  London. 

THE  GENEVIEVE  BANK  ROBBERY. 

I  hereby  certify  that  I  attended  Mr.  Murphy,  of  St. 
Clair  county,  Missouri,  during  his  sickness  in  November, 
1872,  and  that  on  the  day  the  St.  Genevieve,  Missouri, 
Bank  was  said  to  have  been  robbed,  I  saw  at  the  house 
of  Mr.  Murphy,  in  the  county  of  St.  Clair,  Thomas  Cole- 
man Younger,  generally  called  Cole  Younger,  and  that 
he  could  not  possibly  have  had  any  hand  in  said  bank 
robbery,  as  he  was  sitting  up  with  and  nursing  Murphy 
during  his  sickness.  L.  Lewis,  M.  D., 

Treasurer  and  Collector  of  St.  Clair  County,  Ma 


36  COLE  YOUNGER.  , 

THE    IOWA    TRAIN    ROBBERY. 

We,  whose  names  are  hereto  subscribed,  certify  that 
we  saw  Thomas  Coleman  Younger  at  Monegaw  Springs^ 
St.  Clair  county,  Missouri,  on  Sunday,  July  20th,  1873, 
the  day  previous  to  the  Iowa  Train  Robbery,  which  oc- 
curred on  Monday  morning,  July  21st,  1873,  and  that 
said  Thomas  Coleman  Younger  could  not  possibly  have 
had  any  hand  in  said  robbery. 

Simeon  E.  Bruce, 
James  Van  Allen, 
Parson  Smith, 
Robert  White. 


COLE  YOUNGEE  WITH  QUANTEELL. 

THE  FLANNERY  FIGHT. 

Thomas  Coleman  Youne'er,  commonly  called 
Cole  Younger,  joined  the  forces  of  Quantrell,  at 
that  time  comprising  only  eight  men,  ahout  the 
first  of  January,  1862.  They  were  then  camped 
on  the  Little  Blue,  in  Jackson  county,  Missouri. 
All  of  the  men  comprising  this  httle  band,  were 
young  men  of  standing  and  respectability  in  that 
community,  and  some  of  them  were  sons  of  the 
most  wealthy  and  prominent  citizens  of  the 
county.  Very  early  in  the  spring  Quantrell  and 
his  little  band  of  nine  men  crossed  over  into 


COLE    YOUNGEK.  37 

Kansas  to  see  if  they  could  not  recover  some  of 
the  fine  blooded  horses  stolen  from  Henry  W. 
Younger  the  year  previous.  Aitev  searching 
around  a  day  or  two  without  discovering  the 
whereabouts  of  any  of  the  stock,  they  returned 
to  Missouri,  stopping  for  the  night  at  the  house 
of  a  friend,  Flannery,  in  Jackson  county,  Mis- 
souri. As  it  afterwards  proved,  they  were  fol- 
lowed by  a  Capt.  Peabody,  with  one  hundred 
men,  who  surrounded  the  house  at  which  they 
were  stopping.  After  tapping  on  the  door  to 
awake  the  inmates,  Capt.  Peabody  demanded  of 
Quantrell  an  unconditional  surrender.  Quan- 
trell  replied  that  he  would  give  him  an  answer 
in  ten  minutes,  which  was  allowed  him.  Dur- 
ing the  ten  minutes  time  allowed  him,  Quan- 
trell arranged  his  men  in  different  parts  of  the 
iiouse,  the  better  to  enable  them  to  fire  with 
effect,  as  also  to  be  protected  from  the  fire  of 
the  enemy.  Cole  Younger  was  placed  in  the 
loft,  at  an  attic  window,  while  the  other  men 
were  stationed  at  the  doors  and  windows.  When 
all  necessary  arrangements  had  been  made, 
Quantrell  stepped  to  the  door  and  told  Peabody 
that  he  would  not  surrender,  accompanying  his 
words  with  a  round  from  his  double-barrel  shot- 
gun, which  killed  the  First  Lieutenant  under 
Peabody.      All  of  Quantrell's  men  followed^ 


38  COLE   TOUNGEK. 

pouring  a  deadly  fire  into  the  ranks  of  the  ene- 
my.    The  Jayhawkers  immediately  returned  the 
fire,  and  the  fight  was  kept  up  for  about  two 
hours,  when  the  ell  of  the  house  was  discovered 
to  be  on  fire.     Cole  Younger  was  then  called 
down  stairs  and  preparations  made  to  charge 
the  enemy  and  escape.     After  making  a  careful 
examination  of  the  situation  of  affairs,  Quan- 
trell  concluded  it  was  not  possible  to  escape. 
It  was  then  concluded  to  keep  up  a  steady  fire 
on  the  enemy  in  front  of  the  house,  hoping  to 
compel  them  to  give  way.     This  plan  was  tried 
for  some  time  without  the  desired  effect.     By 
this  time  the  fire  had  so  far  progressed  that  a 
portion  of  the  roof  of  the  main  house  was  begin- 
ning to  fall  in.     Quantrell  then  determined  to 
try  strategy,  and,  gathering  his  men  about  him, 
to  give  them  instructions,  found  two  men  miss- 
ing and  one  wounded.     Cole  Younger  searched 
the  house  and  found  the  two  missing  men  under 
the  bed,  and  told  them  to  come  out,  as  the  house 
was  on  fire  and  they  would  be  burned  up  alive 
if  they  did  not  try  to  escape  with  the  rest.  They 
did  not  come  out  and  were  burned  to  death. 
Quantrell  then  explained  his  plan  to  his  men, 
which  was  to  take  pillows,  place  hats  on  them, 
and  stick  them  out   of  the   windows,   hoping 
thereby  to  draw  the  fire  of  the  enemy,  and  while 


COLE   YOUNOER.  89 

their  guns  were  empty  make  a  charge  on  them 
and  escape,  firmg  as  they  rushed  from  the  house. 
This  strategetic  movement  was  carried  out  and 
succeeded  very  well,  and  as  soon  as  the  most  of 
them  were  supposed  to  have  emptied  their  guns, 
Quantrell  threw  open  the  door  and  ordered  his 
men  to  follow  him,  rushing  out  of  the  house  and 
emptying  the  contents  of  their  guns  among  the 
enemy,  which  caused  them  to  give  way,  while 
they  rushed  through  their  line.  In  their  flight 
they  met  with  an  obstacle  in  the  way  of  a  picket 
fence,  which  caused  them  to  scatter  some.  The 
Jayhawkers,  knowing  the  obstruction  that  was 
in  their  way,  closed  in  behind  them.  Cole 
Younger  became  entirely  separated  from  the 
others,  and  after  scaling  the  fence,  was  followed 
by  some  cavalry,  who  w^ere  stationed  in  the 
field.  He  made  the  best  possible  time  across 
the  field,  and  when  the  cavalry  would  approach 
within  shooting  range  of  him,  he  would  halt 
and  present  his  gun,  as  though  about  to  fire, 
when  they  would  throw  themselves  on  the  oppo- 
site side  of  their  horses  and  halt.  He  would 
then  take  advantage  of  this  and  continue  his 
flight,  and  when  they  would  near  him  again, 
he  would  resort  to  the  same  strategy,  with  the 
same  eft'ect.  This  was  repeated  several  times, 
until  at  length  he  reached  the  fence  and  brush, 


40  COLE   YOUNGER. 

wlien  he  made  good  liis  escape,  not  however, 
until  he  had  wounded  one  man  and  killed 
another  of  his  pursuers.  Quantrell  and  the  rest 
of  the  men  also  made  their  escape.  In  the  fight 
fifteen  of  the  Jayhawkers  were  killed  and  a 
numher  wounded.  All  of  Quantrell 's  men  lost 
their  horses. 

Cole  Younger  rejoined  Quantrell  in  a  day  or 
two.  Their  future  operations  were  then  dis- 
cussed, and  in  view  of  the  fact  that  they  had 
been  slipped  up  on,  in  the  last  engagement, 
retaliation  in  like  manner  was  determined  on. 
While  thus  planning  and  arranging  for  future 
operations,  the  Federals  stationed  at  Harris- 
on ville  and  Independence  were  not  idle,  well 
knowing  that  they  had  a  wily  foe  to  contend 
with,  although  few  in  numher.  Knowing  that 
they  had  dismounted  Quantrell  and  his  men, 
and  supposing  most  of  them  wounded,  they  at 
once  concluded  that  the  wounded  would  fall  an 
easy  prey  to  their  untiring  energy,  and  at  once 
determined  to  scour  the  country  thoroughly, 
and  force  the  citizens  to  give  them  information 
of  their  whereabouts.  Old  men  v^ere  impris- 
oned, young  men  murdered  outright,  and  the 
women  insulted  and  abused,  with  the  view  of 
gaining  information  of  tlie  whereabouts  of 
Quantrell  and  his  men.     All  this  failed  them. 


COLE  YOUNGER.  41 

In  the  mean  time,  Quantrell,  learning  these 
f«;Cts,  succeeded  in  mounting  his  men  and 
started  on  the  war  trail,  having  the  assurance 
of  the  citizens  that  his  movements  would  he 
kept  secret.  They  were  constantly  on  the 
alert,  and. on  Friday  morning,  two  weeks  after 
the  engagement  at  Flannery's,  Quantrell  re- 
ceived information  through  Unioit  men,  that 
the  Federal  Colonel  stationed  at  Independence 
had  learned  that  Cole  Younger  had  stopped  for 
a  day  or  two  at  old  man  Blythe's,  and  had  de- 
termined to  send  out  a  scouting  party  to 
Blythe's  house,  with  full  authority  to  force  the 
old  gentleman  to  reveal  the  whereabouts  of 
Younger.  Quantrell,  knowing  Blythe  to  be  a 
particular  friend  of  Younger 's,  asked  Younger 
what  they  had  better  do.  Younger  replied: 
''They  better  not  hurt  that  old  man."  After 
further  consultation  it  was  agreed  that  Blythe 
should  be  notified  of  the  fact,  and  told  to  secrete 
liimself  that  day,  while  Quantrell  and  his  men 
would  watch  their  movements,  and,  if  possible, 
prevent  them  from  reaching  Blythe's  house,  on 
jhe  Harrisonville  and  Independence  road.  As 
soon  as  possible  Quantrell  stationed  his  men  at 
the  Cut,  which  is  about  thirty  feet  deep,  one 
hundred  and  fifty  yards  in  length,  and  q»ite 
narrow  at  the  bottom.     But  the  Federals,    hy 


42  COLE   YOUNGER. 

some  means,  were  thrown  off  c>.<3ir  direct- 
course  and  did  not  come  that  way  After  wait- 
ing there  until  late  in  the  afternoon,  Quantrell 
proposed  to  Younger  to  ride  down  the  road 
towards  Blythe's  house,  which  was  about  three 
miles  distant,  and  see  if  he  could  hear  anything 
of  them.  After  travehng  out  on  the  road  about 
one  mile  he  met  an  old  negro  man  belonging  to 
Mr.  Moore,  who  seemed  to  be  very  much  fright- 
ened. After  being  questioned  he  told  Younger 
the  Federals  had  been  at  Blythe's  house,  and 
failing  to  find  the  old  gentleman  at  home,  pro- 
ceeded to  reap  vengeance  upon  his  son,  a  lad  of 
about  twelve  years  of  age. 

KILLING    OF   YOUNG   BLYTHE. 

Young  Blythe  was  taken  to  the  barn  and  told 
that  he  must  tell  where  Quantrell  and  his  men 
were,  or  else  they  would  kill  him.  The  boy 
par  lied  with  them  a  few  moments,  watched  an 
opportunity,  and  then  broke  and  run  to  the 
house,  entering  the  door  in  the  midst  of  a  per- 
fect shower  of  bullets  fired  at  him  from  the 
barn.  The  boy  then  got  an  old  pistol  that  was 
in  the  house  and  passed  out  at  the  back  door, 
thinking  to  make  his  escape.  While  getting 
over  the  fence  in  the  rear  of  the  house  he  was 
observed  and  fired  on,  one  shot  striking  him  in 


COLE   YOUNGEE.  dt5 

the  back,  when  he  fell  to  the  ground.  The 
Jayhawkers  then  closed  in  on  him  to  finish 
their  work,  when  the  boy,  hearing  them  coming 
towards  him,  and  knowing  they  would  kill  him, 
turned  over  on  his  side,  resting  on  his  elbow, 
and  when  they  n eared  him  fired  two  shots, 
killing  one  man  and  mortally  wounding  the 
second.  They  then  made  short  work  of  him, 
riddling  his  body  with  bullets.  The  old  negro 
was  there  on  an  errand  and  witnessed  the 
whole  proceeding.  After  the  boy  had  been 
killed  the  negro  became  frightened  and  left, 
not  knowing  but  what  it  would  be  his  turn 
next.  He  took  to  the  brush,  and  after  traveling 
some  distance  got  out  on  the  main  road,  where 
he  met  Cole  Younger  and  related  to  him  the 
killing  of  young  Blythe.  Younger  then  asked 
the  negro  what  direction  they  had  taken,  but 
he  w^as  unable  to  tell  him,  having  left  the  place 
before  they  started. 

THE   FIGHT   AT    THE   BLUE    CUT. 

Cole  Younger  then  rode  down  the  road  a 
short  distance,  to  an  eminence,  w^hich  com- 
manded a  good  view  of  the  road  for  some  dis- 
tance, when  he  saw  the  Federals  coming.  Riding 
back  hastily  until  he  overtook  the  negro,  he  told 
him  to  go  down  to  the  Blue  Cut  and  t.ejl  Mr. 


46  COLE   YOUNGER. 

Heller,  with  whom  he  was  acquainted,  to  look 
out,  and  he  would  report  to  him  soon.  Younger 
again  rode  back  to  the  eminence,  where  he 
could  plainly  see  the  Federals  coming  up  the 
road  from  the  South,  directly  approaching  the 
Blue  Cut.  He  then  put  spurs  to  his  horse  and 
rode  back  to  where  Quantrell  was,  telling  him 
what  had  happened,  and  that  they  were  coming 
up  the  road.  Quantrell  tJien  dismounted  his 
men  and  arranged  them  on  both  sides  of  the 
Cut,  on  top,  as  well  as  at  each  end,  with 
mstructions  to  let  the  Federals  pass  in  and 
then  close  up  and  fire  on  them.  There  were 
about  thirty  of  the  Jayhawkers.  They  marched 
on  up  the  road  and  entered  the  Cut,  not  sus- 
pecting danger,  until  the  rear  men  closed  in  on 
them  and  fired.  As  soon  as  the  men  stationed 
in  the  rear  opened  fire,  those  on  top  followed, 
pouring  a  deadly  volley  into  their  confused 
ranks,  which  was  followed  by  those  stationed 
in  front,  closing  in  and  opening  fire  on  them. 
Having  been  tak^n  completely  by  surprise, 
they  knew  not  which  way  to  turn  or  what  to 
do,  while  Quantrell's  men  continued  to  pour 
volley  after  volley  into  their  ranks,  which  were 
by  this  time  being  thinned;  men  and  horses 
were  killed,  wounded  and  dying,  and  the 
shrieks  c^f  the  wounded  were  heard  above  the 


OOLE    YOUNGER.  4i 

din  of  musketry,  from  one  end  of  the  Cut  to 
the  other.  About  twenty  of  the  Jayliawkers 
were  killed,  but  few  escaping.  None  of  Quan- 
trell's  men  were  hurt.  As  one  of  the  Jayliawk- 
ers dashed  out  in  front  of  the  Cut,  Cole 
Younger  grabbed  his  horse  by  the  bridle,  and 
after  checking  his  speed,  drew  his  revolver  and 
shot  the  rider  dead. 

THE    INDIAN    CREEK    FIGHT. 

Shortly  after  the  preceeding  occurrence;  while 
Quantrell  and  his  nine  men  were  camped  on  In- 
dian Creek,  in  Jackson  county,  Missouri,  the  Jay- 
hawkers  stationed  at  Independence  took  their 
whole  force  and  surrounded  the  timber  and  brush 
in  which  Quantrell  and  his  men  w^ere  camped, 
twenty-five  or  thirty  acres,  having  with  them 
two  pieces  of  artillery.  After  they  had  sur- 
rounded the  camp  the  artiUery  was  stationed  in 
a  lane  running  down  to  the  timber,  and  they 
threw  shells  pretty  lively  for  aw^hile,  the  cavalry 
having  been  stationed  on  the  opposite  side,  in 
an  open  field,  where  it  w^as  supposed  Quantrell's 
men  would  come  out  to  make  their  escape.  This 
occurred  shortly  -before  night.  QuantreP,  see- 
ing the  predicament  in  which  he  was  placed, 
secreted  his  men  in  a  ravine,  which  protected 
them  from  the  artillery,  and  at  the  same  ame 


48  COLE    YOUNGER. 

afforded  them  an  opportunity  to  keep  up  a  fire 
on  the  cavah-y  whenever  they  made  their  ap- 
pearance in  a  certain  direction,  within  range  of 
their  guns.  Tlie  fight  was  kept  up  until  dark, 
when  the  Federal  ofiicer  threw  a  strong  guard 
around  the  entire  camp,  to  prevent  the  possi- 
bility of  their  escape.  During  the  night,  as  was 
afterwards  ascertained,  a  large  number  of  the 
Federals  were  dismounted  and  drilled  as  infant- 
ry, preparatory  to  a  charge  upon  the  camp  in 
the  morning,  thus  hoping  to  capture  or  kill  all 
of  the  Guerrillas.  While  all  this  was  going  on, 
on  the  one  side,  Quantfell  w^as  devising  w^ays 
and  means  of  'escape.  While  Quantrell  and 
Haller  were  thus  planning,  Haller  suggested 
that  Cole  I'ounger  had  better  be  called  in  the 
council,  as  he  knew  every  inch  of  the  country, 
and  was  aperfect  backwoodsman.  When  Young- 
er was  called,  he  gave  a  detailed  account  of  the 
location,  &g.  There  w^as  a  farm-house  and  barn 
inside  of  the  Federal  lines,  and  also  quite  a  large 
lot  of  stock.  Younger  at  length  suggested  that 
they  stampede  the  stock,  to  draw  the  fire  of  the 
enemy,  as  well  as  create  confusion  in  their  ranks, 
and  thus,  while  ni  contusion,  make  their  escape. 
The  stock  w^as  at  length  stampeded  and  driven 
through  the  Federal  lines,  many  of  them  being 
killed   and  wounded.     The  stampede   created 


COLE   YUUN(JEII.  40 

much  confusion  in  tlie  Federal  ranks,  causing 
quite  a  gap  to  be  opened,  tlirougli  wliich  Quan- 
trell  and  his  men  passed  out.  The  Federals  did 
not  discover  their  mistake  lor  some  time,  aft  the 
night  was  dark.  Cole  Younger  led  the  way,  and 
when  near  the  pickets,  they  took  advantage  of 
a  stone  fence  by  crawling  on  their  liands  and 
knees,  single  file,  making  good  tlieir  escape. 
After  they  had  safely  i^assed  all  danger,  Quan- 
trell,  in  talking  over  the  matter,  expressed  dis- 
satisfaction at  the  result  or  termination  of  it, 
and  having,  as  he  believed,  a  thorough  knowl- 
edge of  the  position  of  the  Federals,  and  know- 
ing that  but  a  small  force  was  left  with  the 
artillery,  in  the  rear,  determined  that  he  would, 
if  possible,  gain  possession  of  it  in  the  morning, 
b7V  taking  them  by  surprise.  Younger  w^as  then 
consulted  as  to  the  best  means  of  gaining  a  fa- 
vorable position  to  observe  the  movements  of  the 
Federals  in  the  morning,  so  as  to  be  ready  and 
in  position  to  charge  the  artillery  at  the  oppor- 
tune moment.  It  was  then  agreed  that  the  men 
should  be  fed  and  refreshed  for  tlie  morning  ser- 
vice, while  Younger  would  go  out  and  gain 
knowledge  of  the  true  position  of  the  Federals. 
This  he  accomplished  by  stealthily  crawding 
around  until  he  came  near  to  them.  He  soon 
found  out  that  they  had  not  materially'  changed 

D 


50  COLE   YOUNGEE. 

their  position.  At  times  he  was  actually  right 
among  them.  After  fully  satisfying  himself  of 
these  facts,  and  also  ascertaniing  that  a  large 
force  liad  heen  dismounted,  and  their  horses 
placed  in  charge  of  a  small  negro  guard,  he  re- 
turned to  Quantrell  and  detailed  to  him  the  in- 
formation he  had  ohtained. 

Quantrell  at  once  determined  to  charge  the 
artillery  in  the  morning,  capture  it,  and  then 
open  fire  on  the  infantry,  at  tlie  same  time 
putting  in  a  few  random  shots  among  the 
guards  with  horses.  At  four  o'clock  in  the 
morning  Quantrell's  forces  were  in  line,  with 
Cole  Younger  in  front,  as  guide,  with  instruc- 
tions to  lead  them  to  some  practicahle  point  of 
attack  near  the  artillerymen.  This  was  suc- 
cessfully done  hy  leading  them  in  a  circuitous 
route  to  an  old  orchard,  which  was  full  of  vol- 
xmteer  hemp,  tne  better  enabling  them  to  gain 
a  favorable  position.  Finally,  they  were  sta- 
tioned within  forty  yards  of  the  artillery.  One 
man  was  then  placed  where  the  movements  of 
the  cavalry  and  infantry  could  be  observed  in 
the  morning.  When  fdaylight  arrived  Quan- 
trell received  information  from  the  man  on  the 
lookout,  that  the  infantry  were  preparing  to 
make  a  charge  through  the  brush,  while  the 
cavalry  were  posted  on  the  opposite  side  (where 


COLE    YOUNGER.  51 

it  was  supposed  Quantrell  and  his  men  would 
come  out  in  trying  to  make  tlieir  escape.) 

About  this  time  a  heavy  force  of  cavah'y  was 
seen  approaching  from  the  East,  who  were  sup- 
posed to  be,  by  tlie  Federals,  Col.  Up.  Hays' 
Confederates,  as  they  were  expected  daily 
about  that  time.  Each  party  observed  the 
other  about  the  same  time.  The  Federal  cav- 
ahy  at  once  passed  around  the  timber  to  the 
infantry,  wdth  the  view  of  consolidating  their 
forces.  The  officer  in  command  of  the  infantry, 
seeing  the  movenient  of  the  cavalry,  then  or- 
dered his  men  to  fall  back  to  their  horses,  so 
they  could  quickly  mount  in  case  it  was  neces- 
sary. The  Federals,  in  their  surmises  that  the 
approaching  cavalry  was  that  of  Col.  Up.  Hays 
command,  were  mistaken,  as  it  afterwards 
turned  out  to  be  Jennison  and  his  band  of  Kan- 
sas red-legs.  After  this  movement  of  the  Fed- 
erals, Quantrell  became  satisfied  that  they  had 
abandoned  their  idea  of  capturing  him  and  his 
men,  and  w^ere  looking  out  for  their  own  safety. 
In  the  meanwhile  Quantrell  took  in  the  situa- 
tion at  a  glance,  and  sprang  like  a  tiger  upon 
the  cavalrymen,  engaging  them  in  a  hand  to 
hand  fight,  killing  all  who  did  not  immediately 
take  to  a  cornfield  near  by.  Having  thus  se- 
cured the  tw^o  guns  in  a  moment,  George  Todd. 


52  COLE   YOUNGER. 

one  of  Qiiantr ell's  best  men,  and  who,  by  the 
way,  was  an  old  artilleryman,  took  charge  of 
^;he  guns  and  at  once  opened  a  severe  lire  on  the 
infantry,  wluj  were  then  coming  up  the  lane  to 
gain  their  horses,  while  an  occasional  shot  w^as 
thrown  in  among  the  horses,  effectually  stam- 
peding the  guard.  iVfter  the  guard  with  the 
horses  was  stampeded,  a  most  terrific  fire  was 
kept  up  on  the  infantry,  who,  by  this  time,  were 
retreating  in  the  direction  of  Little  Santa  Fe. 
This  little  brush  completely  demoralized  Jen- 
nison  also,  who  thought  the  rebs  were  about  in 
great  numbers,  and  he  also  made  a  hasty  re- 
treat in  the  direction  of  Kansas,  throwing  away 
every  description  of  plunder,  which  he  had  been 
gathering  up  as  he  passed  through  the  country. 
Thus  the  reader  wdll  observe  that  two  armies 
of  Federals,  with  artillery,  were  frightened, — 
first,  by  one  another;  and  secondly,  by  nine  of 
Quantrell's  men — their  artillery  captured,  and 
they  driven  from  the  field.  This  is  no  fancy 
sketch,  but  a  stubborn  fact,  and  one  which, 
when  the  facts  in  the  case  became  known, 
created  considerable  talk  and  laughter  through- 
out that  section  of  the  country.  Quantrell 
then  took  the  artillery  and  threw  it  into  the 
Big  Blue,  and  mounted  his  men  on  the  best 
horses  that  were  caj)tured  from  the  Federals. 


COLE   YOUNGER.  b>i 

A  REIGN  OF  TERROR. 

After  tliis  little  affair  became  known  the  Fed- 
eral authorities  at  Kansas  City  sent  for  Jenni- 
son  and  his  band  of  Kansas  Red  Legs,  and 
an  indiscriminate  slaughter  was  carried  on 
throughout  that  whole  country  by  Jennison 
iand  his  men,  assisted  some  by  others,  while  the 
Federal  forces  stationed  at  Kansas  City,  Inde- 
pendence, &c.,  lield  the  posts.  Such  was  the 
conduct  of  the  Federal  forces  throughout  this 
section  of  the  State,  that  nearly  every  man  of 
nerve  and  pluck  at  once  rallied  to  the  support 
of  Quantrell,  until  his  little  band  of  nine  men 
soon  increased  to  the  number  of  sixty,  which 
enabled  him  to  do  better  and  more  effective 
service.  Skirmishing  was  an  almost  everyday 
occurrence,  and  during  that  summer  hundreds 
of  the  Jayhawkers  were  sent  to  other  homes 
than  that  of  Kansas. 

QUANTRELL  ORGANIZES  A  COMPANY. 

Quantrell  then  proceeded  to  organize  a  com- 
pany, in  regular  mihtary  order,  he  being  elected 
Captain.  Wm.  Haller  was  elected  First  Lieu- 
tenant ;  Cole  Younger  Second  Lieutenant,  and 
George  Todd,  Third  Lieutenant.  Having  thus 
effected  a  complete  organization,  Quantrell  at 
once  commenced  to  shadow  the  operations  of 


54  COLE   YOUNGER. 

the  Federal  forces,  keeping  spies  continually  in 
Kansas  City  and  Independence.  There  was 
scarcely  a  man  or  woman  in  that  whole  com- 
munity but  w^hat  constituted  himself  and  her- 
self a  committee  of  one  to  watch  the  opera- 
tions of  the  Jayhawkers  and  give  Quantrell  in- 
formation. Even  some  strong  Union  men 
acted  as  spies,  so  utterly  disgusted  w^re  the 
citizens  with  the  conduct  of  the  Federals,  who 
were  carrying  on  an  indiscriminate  murder  and 
robbery.  Quantrell  and  his  men  committed 
none  of  these  depredations,  but  on  the  con- 
trary, endeavored  by  every  possible  means  to 
prevent  them  being  perpetrated.  To  this  cir- 
cumstance may  be  attributed  the  fact  of  Union 
men  giving  information  to  Quantrell.  So  com- 
plete and  thorough  was  the  co-operation  of  the 
citizens  with  Quantrell,  that  the  slightest  dem- 
onstration on  the  part  of  the  Federal  forces  was 
duly  noted  and  immediately  reported  to  him. 
Not  a  scout  could  leave  town  or  approach  from 
Kansas,  without  his  knowing  the  fact  and  op- 
erations set  on  foot  to  check  the  movement. 
Quantrell  kept  his  men  divided  into  four 
squads,  the  better  and  more  effectually  to  exe- 
cute his  work.  One  squad  was  placed  under 
the  charge  of  Cole  Younger,  one  under  George 
Todd,  one  under  Haller,  and  the  other  Quan- 


COLK    YOUNGEK.  55 

trell  had  under  liis  immediate  control;  ih^' 
whole  force  concentrating  whenever  doomed 
necessary.  Quantrell  always  carried  with  him 
an  Opeloiisas  or  Texas  steer's  horn,  which  had 
a  peculiar  sound,  and  could  be  heard  at  a  dis- 
tance of  about  four  miles.  All  of  his  men  wer  5 
acquainted  with  its  peculiar  sound,  and  when- 
ever a  certain  blast  from  it  was  given,  all  hands 
rallied  to  the  assistance  of  their  commanded 
Another  peculiar  feature  of  the  sounding  of 
jbliis  horn  was,  that  with  it  he  was  able  to  make 
his  officers  understand  what  he  desired  them 
to  do,  all  having  been  drilled  to  certain  signals. 
As  before  remarked,  scarcely  a  day  passed  with- 
out some  skirmishing,  and  in  almost  every 
instance  the  Jayhawkers  suffered  in  loss  of 
men. 

TWO    MEN    KILLED   AND    ONE    CAPTURED. 

In  June,  1862,  while  the  Jayhawkers  were 
watching  a  ford  on  the  Little  Blue,  three  of 
Quantr ell's  men  rode  into  the  river  to  water 
their  horses,  when  they  were  fired  upon  from 
ambush,  two  being  killed  and  the  third  wounded 
and  captured.  The  wounded  man  was  taken 
to  Independence,  where  he  was  placed  in  jail 
and  abused  in  the  most  shameful  manner.  On 
learning  of  his  treatment,  Quantrell  determined 
to  velease  him   as  soon   as  his  wounds  were 


56  COLE    YOUNGEK. 

sufficiently  healed  to  enable  liini  to  travel.  He 
then  set  all  of  his  men  on  the  alert  to  capture 
some  of  the  Federals,  to  ])e  held  for  exchange, 
and  for  the  good  treatment  of  the  prisoner  held 
at  Independence.  No  opportunity  presented 
itself  for  several  weeks. 

TWO    SUCCESSFUL    SORTIES. 

At  length  Quantrell  Ife.^rnv^d  that  the  prisoner 
held  at  Independence  was  t(>  be  hung .  at  the 
court  house  on  a  certain  day.  He  at  once 
determined  on  a  plan  to  capture  some  of  the 
Jayhawkers.  Haller,  with  four  men,  was  sent 
into  Independence  at  night,  to  the  house  of 
his  (HaUer's)  mother,  to  gain  information  in 
regard  to  the  position  of  the  Federal  pickets. 
They  all  arrived  safely,  and  there  learned  from 
an  old  servant  that  four  of  the  pickets  had  been 
stationed  at  an  old  woolen  mill  south  of  town. 
Haller,  knowing  the  ground  to  be  very  rough 
in  that  vicinity,  concluded  to  make  a  personal 
reconnoisance  of  the  position,  in  order  to  gain 
knowledge  of  their  exact  location.  He  then 
left  the  men  at  the  house  of  his  mother,  and 
proceeded  on  foot  to  make-  the  examination. 
Finding  it  practicable,  he  at  once  determined 
to  kill  or  capture  the  pickets,  but  decided  not 
to  kill  them  if  possible  to  capture  them.    Ee- 


COLE    YOUNGER.  57 

turning  to  the  house,  he  there  learned  that  a 
picket  force  was  stationed  on  the  opposite  side 
of  the  town,  and  knowing  tliat  if  he  made  an 
attack  upon  tJie  pickets  at  the  woolen  mill,  the 
Federal  forces  would  be  rapidly  thrown  in  that 
direction,  and  thus  prevent  him  making  his 
escape  with  the  prisoners;  and  knowing  that 
Cole  Younger  was  stationed  at  the  old  Younger 
farm,  three  miles  south  of  town,  he  sent  a 
runner  to  him  mtli  instructions  to  make  a 
spirited  demonstration  on  the  river  road,  to 
enable  Haller  to  capture  the  pickets  at  the 
woolen  mill. 

.  Younger  at  once  mounted  his  men  and  pro- 
ceeded to  do  as  directed.  After  passing  around 
the  tow^n  he  took  steps  to  ascertain  the  exact 
position  of  the  pickets  on  that  road,  and  find- 
ing they  were  stationed  near  Hiram  Young's 
factory,  he  cautiously  approached  the  rear  end 
of  the  building,  dismounted  his  men,  opened 
the  door,  and  all  led  their  horses  through  the 
building  to  the  front  door,  which  opened  out 
into  the  street  between  the  pickets  and  the 
main  camp.  The  building  w^as  a  large  one- 
story  frame/used  for  a  wagon  factory,  without 
flooring.  Younger  then  mounted  his  men  and 
rode  noiselessly  down  the  street,  when  he  saw 
at  a  glance  that  the  pickets  had  not  suspected 


58  COLE   YOUNGEB. 

his  approach.  Two  of  them  were  sitting  on  an 
old  bridge,  while  the  rest  were  sleeping  near 
by.  Quick  as  thought,  Younger  and  his  men 
dashed  down  the  street  on  the  pickets,  yelling 
at  the  top  of  tkeir  voices,  and  firing  as  they 
neared  them.  The  two  pickets  that  were  awake 
returned  the  fire,  wounding  one  of  Younger 's 
men  and  killing  one  horse.  One  of  them  was 
captured  but  the  other  got  away.  Those  who 
were  asleep  jumped  up  and  ran  away,  when 
they  were  fired  on,  two  being  killed  and  four 
captured.  Younger  then  took  his  prisoners 
and  passed  around  the  town,  driving  in  the 
pickets  on  the  Blue  Hill  road,  and  then  made 
his  way  to  Quantrell's  camp. 

As  soon  as  Haller  heard  the  firing  of  Young- 
er's  men  he  jumped  his  pickets,  captured  them 
without  firing  a  gun,  and  straightway  went  to 
Quantrell's  camp  with  his  prisoners. 

After  Y^ounger  and  Haller  reported  with  their 
prisoners,  Quantrell  wrote  a  letter  to  the 
Federal  officer  at  Independence,  stating  that 
if  he  killed  the  wounded  prisoner  he  held,  the 
prisoners  in  his  hands  would  share  a  similar 
fate;  but  that  if  he  released  him,  as  also  the 
old  meji  he  held,  some  20,  he,  Quantrell,  would 
release  the  prisoners  he  held  on  parole.  The 
Federal  officer  finally  acceded  to  the  proposi- 


COLE   YOUNGER.  59 

tic'ii  and  botli  sides  released  their  prisoner?. 
When  Qiiantrel  released  his  prisoners,  tliere 
was  among  them  an  Irishman  who  refused  to 
return  witli  his  companions,  but  insisted  on 
joining  the  forces  of  Quantrell,  at  tlie  same 
time  stating  that  he  had,  for  some  tijne,  been 
desirous  of  joining  his  company,  and  deter- 
mined to  do  so  at  the  first  favorable  opportunity, 
and  now^  that  an  opportunity  presented  itself, 
he  was  going  to  cfarry  out  his  intention,  wdiich 
he  did. 

YOUNGER   SHOOTS   HIS   COUSIN. 

One  night''  Cole  Younger  went  to  the  house 
of  his  grand-mother,  Mrs.  Fristo,  where  he 
stayed  for  supper,  hitching  his  horse  back  of 
the  house,  in  the  brush.  After  eating  supper 
and  talking  to  the  old  lady  for  some  time.  Cole 
concluded  he  would  return  to  camp.  He  bid 
the  old  lady  good-bye,  and  walked  out  on  the 
porch,  w^hich  w^as  elevated  some  four  feet  from 
the  ground  and  open  underneath.  The  moon 
was  shining  brightly  at  the  time.  Just  as  he 
was  about  to  step  of!  the  porch  he  w^as  surprised 
to  meet  his  cousin,  Capt.  Charles  Younger,  of 
the  State  Militia.  Both  recognized  each  other 
and  shook  hands.  After  shaking  hands  Capt. 
Younger  said:  "You  are  my  prisoner."  Cole 
scanned  him  closely  for  a  moment,  and  then, 


60  COLE   YOUNGER. 

quick  as  lightning,  grabbed  his  revolver,  threw 
it  into  his  face  and  fired,  Capt.  Younger  dropp- 
ing dead,  as  Cole  supposed,  when  he.  Cole, 
sprang  from  the  porch  and  ran  uj)  through  the 
yard,  as  he  then  discovered  that  the  house  was 
surrounded  by  soldiers.  When  near  the  fence 
and  brush,  where  his  horse  was.  Cole  fell  over 
a  bee-gum  and  dislocated  his  knee ;  at  this  very 
instant  a  shoAver  of  lead  passed  over  him,  cut- 
ting the  back  of  his  coat  •into  ribbons,  but 
not  drawing  blood.  Had  he  not  fallen  the 
very  instant  he  did,  he  would  have  been 
instantly  killed.  With  his  knee  cadly  injured. 
Cole  crawled  to  the  brush,  got  on  his  horse  and 
made  his  escape. 

THE  FEDERAL    MAJOR  LINDEN. 

There  was  a  Major  Linden,  of  the  7th  Mis- 
souri Cavalry,  Volunteers,  stationed  at  Harri- 
sonville,  who  did  not  approve  of  the  course 
pursued  bj^  the  Jayhawkers,  as  well  as  some  of 
the  Federal  officers.  His  idea  of  conducting 
the  war  was  to  make  friends  of  those  who  dif- 
fered with  him,  and,  instead  of  driving  men 
into  the  Southern  army  by  ill-treatment,  he 
endeavored,  by  good  treatment,  to  induce  tbose 
who  were  in  to  forsake  the  cause  in  which  tht-^y 
had  enhsted.    He  would  not  allow  any  of  ids 


(!olp:  younger.  61 

men  to  commit  depredations  or  take  anything 
withont  paying  for  it.  The  course  he  pursued 
made  everybody  respect  liim  wlio  was  disposed 
to  see  tlie  unhappy  state  of  affairs  that  existed 
in  the  country  brought  to  a  speedy  termination, 
while  the  Jayliawkers  and  all  evil-disposed  per- 
sons denounced  his  course.  He  denounced  and 
punished  Union  men  and  Rebels  alike,  when- 
ever they  did  wrong.  In  one  sense  it  might  be 
said  he  acted  in  concert  wdth  Quantrell.  One 
day,  while  Neugent's  Jayhawkers  were  prowl- 
ing through  the  country  they  took  as  prisoner 
Richard  De  Jarnett,  a  liighly  respected  citizen, 
taking  him  to  Harrisonville  and  handing  liim 
over  to  Maj.  Linden,  preferring  charges  against 
him  of  steahng  and  various  other  depredations. 
Linden  tried  him  and  found  that  none  of  the 
charges  preferred  against  him  could  be  sus- 
tained, when  he  turned  him  loose.  This  made 
Neugent  quite  angry,  and  he  threatened  to  do 
wonders.  Linden  paid  but  little  attention  to 
him  for  a  while,  until  finally  he  gave  him  to 
understand  that  if  he,  Neugent,  did  not  conduct 
himself  properly,  he  would  take  him  in  hands 
and  punish  him  as  he  deserved.  Linden,  being 
unwilling  to  carry  on  a  warfare  as  practiced  by 
most  of  the  Federal  officers,  became  disgusted 
and  resigned  in  September,  1862. 


62  COLE   YOUNGER. 

CAPTURE  OF  MAIL,  AMMUNITION,  ETC. 

A  citizen  of  Harris  on  ville  frequently  carritjd  ' 
the  mail  to  Lexington,  and  one  day  Qiiantreli 
learned  that  this  citizen  had  gone  to  Lexington 
to  bring  the  mail,  a  lot  of  ammunition^  some 
uniforms,  etc.,  when  he  at  once  deterrLined  to 
capture  the  whole  outfit,  and  requesced  Cole 
Younger  to  do  up  the  job.  Cole  so^n  started 
on  the  errand  and  brought  back  the  whole  con- 
cern. There  was  quite  a  lot  of  ammunition,  a 
Colonel  and  Lieutenant  Colonel's  uniform,  the 
mail,  etc.  The  prisoner  was  turned  loose. 
None  of  Quantrell's  officers  would  put  on  the 
uniforms,  much  less  wear  them,  and  the  men 
would  frequently  put  them  on  some  one  and 
get  them  to  strut  about  the  camp,  giving  orders, 
etc.,  which  would  create  much  merriment. 

As  soon  as  it  became  kno\NTi  to  the  Federal 
authorities  that  the  mail,  ammunition,  etc.,  had 
been  captured,  scouting  parties  were  sent  out 
in  every  direction  to  recapture  the  lost  prop- 
erty, but  without  avail.  The  only  good  accom- 
plished was  the  loss  of  some  of  the  Jayhawkers. 

QUANTRELL  MAKES  BOLD    STRIKES. 

Quantrell,  now  having  sixty-three  men,  all 
well  armed,  mounted  and  drilled  for  eft'ective 
service,  decided   to  make  some  bold  strokes. 


COLE   YOaNGER.  63 

He  concentrated  his  forces  at  Lee's  Summit,  in 
Jaqkson  county,  Missouri,  keeping  the  main 
body  of  his  men  together,  secreted,  while  Cole 
Younger  was  detailed  to  make  violent  demon- 
strations on  the  Federal  camps  at  Harrison- 
ville,  Independence  and  Kansas  City  alternating 
between  the  difterent  places.  Younger  and  his 
squad  of  six  men,  were  to  draw  the  Federals 
out  of  town,  to  the  place  where  Quantrell  and 
his  men  were  secreted,  and  hy  this  means  they 
would  be  able  to  do  much  execution.  While 
thus  engaged.  Younger  would  frequently  ride 
within  shooting  distance  of  the  Federal  pickets 
at  Independence,  fire  upon  them,  and  then 
retreat,  hoping  to  induce  them  to  follow  him. 
But  the  Federals  had  learned  what  kind  of  men 
they  had  to  deal  with,  and  seldom  followed  any 
distance.  Federal  communication  between 
Harrisonville  and  Independence  was  entirely 
cut  off,  except  an  occasional  mail  that  was  sent 
out  under  a  strong  guard. 

ANOTHER   FIGHT   AT    THE   BLUE   CUT. 

One  day  Quantrell  learned  that  the  mail 
would  pass,  by  the  way  of  Pleasant  Hill,  from 
Harrisonville  to  Independence,  under  a  strong 
guard  of  Neugent's  men.  He  at  once  deter- 
mined to  give  them  a  round.    Younger  was 


64  COLE   YOUNGEK. 

detailed  to  attend  to  them,  whose  force  of  six 
men,  by  this  time,  had  increased  considerably, 
by  the  addition  of  new  recruits.  He  at  once 
placed  spies  all  along  the  road,  to  watch  the 
movements  of  the  Jayhaw^kers.  At  length  he 
received  information  that  they  were  taking  the 
Blue  Cut  road.  He  at  once  proceeded  to  ar- 
range his  men  in  a  similar  manner  as  did  Quan- 
trell  on  a  previous  occasion,  at  this  same  place, 
heretofore  mentioned.  After  arranging  his  men 
another  runner  arrived  with  the  intelligence 
that  the  party  was  commanded  by  Capt.  Long, 
an  old  acquaintance  of  Younger.  He  was  also 
told  that  Isaac  Shoat,  a  deserter  from  Quan- 
trell,  and  a  man  by  the  name  of  Coon,  a  noto- 
rious house-burner,  were  in  the  party.  Younger 
then  went  to  every  one  of  his  men,  gave  them 
a  minute  description  of  Capt.  Long,  and  told 
them  by  no  means  to  shoot  at  him. 

It  was  natural  to  suppose  that  the  Federals 
would  be  on  their  guard  when  passing  through 
the  Cut,  after  being  previously  trapped  there,  but 
such  was  not  the  case.  It  was  apparent  that  the 
men  had  been  drinking  freely  of  ardent  spirits, 
and  seemed  not  to  think  or  care  of  consequences. 
As  they  approached  the  Cut  one  of  them 
was  heard  to  remark:  "What  if  that  damn 
Quantrell  was  here  again?"    His  companion 


COLE   YOUNGER.  65 

replied:  ''Ob,  I  guess  he  has  gone  South — 
there  is  only  a  small  squad  here  under  Cole 
Younger,  now/'  By  this  time  they  were  about 
midway  of  the  Cut,  Capt.  Long  riding  behind, 
wjien  Cole  Younger  sprang  upon  a  rock  com- 
manding the  position,  and,  in  a  loud  voice,  de- 
manded their  surrender.  His  sunnnons  to  sur- 
render was  answered  by  a  volley  of  musketry, 
when  a  murderous  fire  was  opened  upon  them 
by  the  Guerrillas  from  behind  rocks,  trees  and 
logs.  The  Jay  hawkers  kept  up  quite  a  spirited 
resistance  for  awhile,  Capt.  Long  shouting  to 
his  men  to  stand  their  ground,  until  they  were 
mowed  down  to  such  an  extent  that  it  was 
found  necessary  for  them  to  retreat,  if  any  of 
them  expected  to  escape.  Just  at  this  moment 
Younger's  men  closed  in  at  the  head  and  foot 
of  the  cut,  and  as  Yoimger  entered  the  road 
Capt.  Long  and  the  deserter,  Shoat,  dashed  by. 
Younger  shot  Capt.  Long's  horse  from  under 
him,  the  horse  falling  upon  him  and  pinioning 
him  to  the  ground ;  when  Younger  fired  at  Shoat, 
who,  by  this  time,  was  fifty  yards  off,  shooting 
him  as  he  sui)posed,  in  the  back.  Y^ounger 
then  sprang  to  Cai)t.  Long's  assistance,  rolling 
the  horse  off  of  him,  and  raising  him  up,  asked 
him  if  he  was  hurt.  "No,  nothing  more  than  a 
bruised  leg."    Younger  then  told  him  to  sit 


66  COLE  YOUNGER. 

down,  and  he  would  go  down  the  cut  and  see 
what  had  become  of  the  other  boys.  When  he 
reached  the  top  of  the  hill,  where  he  could  see 
down  into  the  cut,  his  eyes  beheld  a  confused 
mass  of  men  and  horses,  horses  lying  upon 
riders  and  riders  lying  upon  horses,  dead, 
wounded  and  dying,  while  those  of  the  Federals 
who  had  escaped  unhurt,  surrendered  uncon- 
ditionally. Younger  ordered  the  prisoners  to 
march  up  the  hill  to  where  Capt.  Long  was  sit- 
ting, and  after  placing  them  under  guard,  he 
tui'ned  to  Capt.  Long,  saying,  "Come,  AL,  let 
us  go  down  and  see  who  is  hurt."  While  look- 
ing around  throiigh  the  confused  mass  of  men 
and  horses.  Younger  discovered  the  notorious 
Coon,  wounded  in  the  back  part  of  the  thigh. 
Coon  immediately  recognized  Younger,  and 
begged  him  to  spare  his  life.  Younger  replied, 
"You  cowardly  dog,  you  deserve  to  die  right  here, 
but  you  need  not  be  alarmed,  it  is  not  my  style  to 
hurt  a  man  when  he  is  down."  Younger  then 
called  for  assistance,  and  the  wounded  were  car- 
ried to  a  creek,  near  by,  given  water,  their 
wounds  dressed,  etc.  After  all  had  been  cared  for 
as  well  as  could  be,  Younger  turned  to  Capt. 
Long  and  said :  "I  guess  the  wounded  can  now 
get  along  without  my  assistance,  as  I  must  be 
going."    Long  then  asked:    "What  are  you 


COLE   YOUNGER.  67 

going  to  do  ^vith  me?"  Younger  replied: 
^'Haven't  we  always  been  friends?"  ,"Yes, 
replied  Long."  ''I  never  go  back  on  a  frieiid," 
replied  Younger,  "and  hope  we  will  always  have 
reason  to  look  upon  each  other  as  friends.  Now, 
AL,  take  care  of  your  wounded,  and  do  the  best 
you  can.  I  will  leave  you  here."  As  Younger 
turned  to  go  away  he  remarked,  "the  very  man 
I  wanted,  that  deserter,  Shoat,  has  made  his 
escape."  Younger  then  rode  back  to  where 
the  prisoners  were  under  guard,  and,  after  mak- 
ing them  a  speech,  advising  them  to  go  home 
and  stay  there,  released  them.  Forming  his 
men  into  hne,  he  turned  to  ride  away,  when  he 
got  a  glimpse  of  somebody  coming  towards  hini 
on  horseback,  and,  thinking  him  to  be  a  runner 
with  some  valuable  information,  waited  until  he 
arrived.  The  rider,  after  being  interrogated, 
informed  Younger  that  he  was  going  for  a  doc- 
tor. Younger  asked,  "Who  for?"  He  replied, 
"There  is  a  man  up  at  the  house  of  Dr.  Nolan's 
badly  wounded,  who  fell  off  of  his  horse  when 
directly  opposite  the  house."  Younger  then 
asked  his  name,  but  the  man  did  not  recollect 
it.  Some  one  of  the  men  asked  if  it  was  Shoat, 
when  he  replied,  "Yes,  that's  it  it."  Some  of 
the  boys  proposed  that  they  go  up  there  and 
iirdsh  him,  when  Younger  replied  there  was  no 


68  COLE  YOUNGEE. 

use  in  that,  it  was  not  his  style  of  doing  busi- 
ness. The  Doctor  was  procured,  but  only  ar- 
rived there  to  find  that  his  wound  was  mortal 
and  that  he  was  then  dying.  Before  breathing 
his  last  he  told  the  Doctor  that  he  tried  to 
make  his  escape,  as  when  he  saw  Younger  he 
knew  he  would  be  killed,  and  felt  confident 
Younger  had  shot  him.  Younger  then  told  his 
men  to  scatter  and  meet  liim  at  Quantrell's 
camp. 

This  engagement  was  immortalized  by  ahttle 
ditty,  composed  by  a  friend  of  Younger's,  sung 
to  the  tune  and  chorus  of  Dixie,  one  verse  of 
which  is  as  follows : 

"  As  we  were  crossing  Little  Blue, 

We  met  Younger  and  his  crew ; 

They  killed  Cap's  horse  and  robbed  the  mail. 

And  shot  our  Coon  through  the  tail." 

THE   WALNUT    CEEEK    FIGHT. 

In  July,  1862,  immediately  follo^^dng  the 
second  engagement  of  the  Little  Blue,  the 
Federals,  with  forces  numbering  about  2,000 
men,  were  continually  scouting  around  through 
the  Sny  and  Blue  Hills,  hunting  Quantrell  and 
his  little  band.  Skirmisliing  was  an  every  day 
occurrence.  At  length  Quantrell,  seeing  that 
their  whole  force  was  kept  in  Jackson  county. 


COLE   YOUNGER.  6ft 

determined  to  give  them  the  dodge  and  strike 
Harrison ville,  Cass  county,  in  their  rear. 
Mounting  his  men,  he  shpped  out  of  the  Sny 
Hills  under  cover  of  night,  and  made  his  way 
direct  for  Harrison ville,  about  twenty  miles 
distant.  He  reached  within  a  mile  of  Harri- 
sonville  just  as  day  broke  in  the  morning,  when, 
looking  back  on  the  road,  he  discovered  that 
he  was  closely  pursued  by  a  large  force  of 
Federals.  He  then  changed  his  plan  of  opera- 
tions and  took  the  road  for  Austin,  hoping  to 
fall  in  upon  a  Federal  camp.  When  he  reached 
Austin  he  found  the  place  evacuated,  the  camp 
lire  still  burning.  He  then  dismounted,  fed 
the  horses,  the  men  ate  their  breakfast,  and 
when  about  to  start  the  Federals  were  again 
discovered  coming  up  the  road  some  six  hun- 
dred strong.  Quantrell  turned  to  Haller  and 
said,  ''All  the  Feds,  in  the  country  are  on  our 
trail,  and  this  is  a  strange  country  to  me.  It 
would  be  best  for  us  to  make  our  way  back  to 
the  Blue  Hills,  where,  if  they  press  us  too 
hard,  we  can  scatter  and  throw  them  off  our 
trail,  and  then  concentrate  our  forces  and  attack 
them  in  their  rear."  Haller  replied,  "But  who 
knows  the  country;  we  cannot  go  back  direct, 
but  must  take  a  circuitous  route."  Quantrell 
then  replied,  "I  will  see  Younger;  he  will  be 


70  COLE   YOUNGER. 

more  likely  to  know  the  country  than  any  one 
else. ' '  Younger  was  then  asked  if  he  could  lead 
them  back  to  the  Blue  Hills,  and  he  replied  that 
he  could,  as  he  was  perfectly  familiar  with  the 
country.  Younger  then  took  the  lead,  going  out 
the  Dayton  road,  and  when  he  reached  Dayton 
there  learned  that  the  Eider  Boys,  of  bush- 
wacking  notoriety,  were  at  home.  He  then 
passed  on  to  Mrs.  Rider's  house,  where  he  met 
John  Rider,  who  had  twelve  men  under  his 
command.  Younger  then  related  to  Rider  the 
situation  of  things,  telling  him  they  had  use 
for  every  man  they  could  possibly  raise.  Rider 
asked  Quantrell  how  he  was  going  to  get  out 
of  that  scrape,  as  the  Federals  could  then  be 
seen  approaching.  Quantrell  replied,  "I  am 
leaving  the  matter  with  my  White  Haired 
Boy,"  a  name  he  often  gave  Cole  Younger. 
''Well,"  replied  Rider,  "he  knows  every  hog 
path,  and  can  carry  you  through  safe. ' '  Younger 
then  asked  Rider  if  he  would  join  them,  telling 
him  he  had  heard  of  some  of  his  exploits.  Rider 
answered  in  the  affirmative,  saying,  "I  am 
always  in  for  a  little  fun."  The  forces  were 
then  swelled  to  seventy-five  men. 

They  then  took  the  road  to  Walnut  Creek,  in 
Johnson  county,  the  Federals  pressing  them 
closely.    After  reaching  Walnut  Creek,  they 


COLE   YOUNGER.  71 

took  the  brnsli  and  tlie  Federals  lost  their  trail. 
Alter  travelling  tlirongh  the  brush  some  dis- 
tance they  entered  the  main  road,  north,  and- 
travelled  direct  to  the  8ny  Hills.  After  march- 
ing some  six  miles  on  the  road,  they  stopped  to 
feed  and  get  dinner,  having  dismounted  in  an 
old  orchard,  back  of  the  house.  While  busy 
feeding  their  horses  and  grooming,  the  pickets 
came  in  and  reported  that  the  Federals  were 
coming  in  on  their  trail,  from  the  South,  2C)0 
strong. 

The  Federals  approached  within  about  half 
a  mile  of  the  house,  when  they  observed  that 
something  was  wrong  there,  and  at  once  halted 
and  formed  in  line  of  battle.  Finally  they  con- 
cluded to  send  out  an  advance  of  twelve  men, 
to  ascertain  definitely  there  were  any  Guer- 
rillas about  the  premises.  Quantrell,  in  the 
mean  time,  had  fallen  back  and  taken  a  position 
so  that  he  could  make  an  effectual  resistance. 
He  fell  back  to  a  small  tract  of  timber,  with  a 
steep  bluff"  on  each  side,  where  he  felled  trees, 
wrapped  grape  vines  from  tree  to  tree,  and  thus 
made  his  place  of  defence  wholly  unapproacha- 
ble by  cavalry,  leaving  but  a  small  opening  for 
Younger  and  his  men  to  pass  in,  when  com* 
pelled  to  retreat. 

Younger  was  left  with  a  squad  of  but  twelve 


72  COLfi   YOUNGER. 

men,  with  instructions  to  do  the  hest  he  could, 
and  gradually  retreat  to  where  Quantrell  and 
his  main  force  was  stationed.  Finally,  the  Fed- 
eral advance  of  twelve  men  started  in  the  di- 
rection of  the  house,  and  when  Younger  saw 
that  they  were  advancing,  resorted  to  strategy, 
by  getting  the  lady  of  the  house  to  take  their 
blankets  and  hang  them  overthefence,  as  though 
she  had  been  washing,  while  Younger  and  his 
men  crawled  up  behind  the  fence  unobserved, 
and  prepared  for  their  approach,  as  soon  as  they 
came  within  range.  The  plan  hit  upon  proved 
a  complete  success,  and  when  the  Federal  ad- 
vance rode  up  within  close  range.  Younger  and 
his  men  rose  up  from  behind  the  fence  and 
poured  a  deadly  fire  into  them,  kilhng  all  but 
one  man.  This  was  done  in  plain  view  of  the 
Federal  line,  and  they,  perceiving  the  whole- 
sale slaughter  of  their  men,  at  once  commenced 
making  preparations  for  a  retreat.  Just  as 
they  were  about  to  retrace  their  steps,  they 
were  reinforced  by  20(0  men  from  Butler.  As 
soon  as  the  reinforcements  arrived  they  resolved 
to  avenge  the  death  of  tlieir  companions,  and 
made  a  charge  upon  the  house.  Younger  then 
slowly  retreated  in  the  direction  of  Quantrell's 
barricade,  occasionally  sending  back  a  volley  at 
his  pursuers.     Quantrell   met  him  in  the  edge 


COLE   YOUNGER. 

of  the  timber  and  showed  him  the  way  to  enter, 
and  as  soon  as  he  entered  the  fortifications  the 
entrance  was  closed  by  felhng  trees,  which  had 
previously  been  prepared,  so  that  a  few  strokes 
of  the  axe  would  bring  them  down.  Quantrell 
had  all  of  his  men  dismounted,  their  horses  se- 
cured back  in  the  ravine,  out  of  the  way  of  the 
bullets,  and  the  men  ready  to  open  fire  as  soon 
as  the  enemy  approached  within  range  of  their 
double-barrel  shot-guns.  Scarcely  had  Younger 
and  his  men  entered  the  enclosure  and  dis- 
mounted, ere  the  Federals  made  a  charge  upon 
the  works.  The  first  charge  only  resulted  in 
hea^^  loss  to  tlieir  cavalry,  and  they  soon  re- 
treated a  short  distance.  Quantrell  always  car- 
ried with  him  a  wagon-load  of  Sharp's  rifles  to 
be  used  for  long  range,  and  these  deadly  wea- 
pons were  now  brought  into  requisition,  and 
soon  caused  the  Federals  to  retreat  still  further 
back. 

Four  separate  and  distinct  charges  were  made 
by  the  Federals,  each  time  resulting  as  the  first. 
Thej'  were  then  reinforced  by  about  200  more 
men,  and  the  fifth  and  sixth  charges  were  made, 
resulting  a.s  before.  Quantrell  then  concluded, 
although  the  odds  were  largely  against  him,  to 
mount  his  men  and  charge  tlie  enemy  upon  the 
open  field.      Aftor  lie  had  o^^A^ed  n  uatb  ^nf- 


T€  COLE    YOUNGER. 

ficient  to  allow  of  an  exit  from  his  work,  mounted 
his  men  and  got  outside  of  the  barricade,  he 
observed  that  the  Federals  were  again  being 
largely  reinforced,  when  he  determined  to  aban- 
don the  charge.  The  Federals,  observing 
Quantrell's  movement,  again  made  a  charge, 
this  time  endeavoring  to  force  an  entrance 
where  Quantrell  and  his  men  had  entered,  but 
they  were  met  with  such  a  deadly  fire  that  they 
were  compelled  to  retreat. 

It  was  now  near  night,  and  Quantrell  com- 
menced felling  trees  and  showing  signs  of 
strengthening  his  position,  which  led  the  enemy 
to  believe  that  he  meant  to  stay  there.  This 
seemed  to  satisfy  them,  and  they  were  left  to 
plan  their  operations  for  the  next  morning, 
while  Quantrell  and  his  men  shpped  out  down 
the  ravine. 

During  the  last  charge  on  liis  works,  while 
Quantrell  had  his  men  mounted,  his  horse  wag 
shot  from  under  him,  and  he  received  a  shot  in 
the  right  knee.  Several  other  horses  belonging 
to  the  men  of  his  command  were  killed.  Quan- 
trell rode  behind  Younger,  while  the  other  men 
who  were  di'smounted  rode  behind  their  com- 
rades. They  finally  made  their  way  to  the  Sny 
Hills,  where  they  divided  up  into  small  squads 
and  thus  efFsutually  eluded  their  pursuers. 


COLE   YOUNGER.  75 

TEIAL     OF    xVN    ENFIELD   RIFLE. 

Upon  one  occasion  Quantrell's  band  encoun- 
tered a  party  of  Jayhawkers  numbering  thirty 
or  more.  A  dozen  of  the  Jayhawkers  were 
killed  and  fifteen  captured.  They  were  taken 
to  camp  and  the  question  of  their  fate  soon  set- 
tled. After  supper,  and  while  the  shades  of 
evening  were  approaching.  Cole  Younger  got 
out  an  Enfield  rifle  captured  that  day.  It  was 
the  first  he  had  ever  seen,  and  its  merits  and 
demerits  were  discussed  by  the  men.  Opinions 
differed  as  to  its  superior  qualities.  One  of  the 
men  remarked  that  he  heard  it  would  kill  at 
the  distance  of  a  mile.  Younger  replied,  "if 
that  is  so,  the  force  of  the  discharge  must  be 
terrific."  Another  banteringly  remarked,  if 
the  new  gun  would  kill  at  a  mile  distant,  a  ball, 
at  a  short  range,  would  go  through  ten  men. 
Younger  raised  up  from  the  saddle  upon  which 
he  had  been  sitting  and  remarked,  that  is  easy 
to  demonstrate.  When  the  prisoners  heard 
this  remark  they  felt  sure  their  time  had  come! 
The  fifteen  prisoners  were  then  placed  in  a  line, 
one  behind  the  other,  and  Cole  Younger  took 
the  gun,  played  with  the  lock  a  moment,  to 
"  get  the  hang  of  it,"  and  then  measured  off 
fifteen  paces  in  front  of  the  line  formed,  wheeled 
about,  looked  calmly  and  soberly  into  the  faces 


76  COLE   YOUNGER. 

of  the  doomed  men,  and  then  fired.  The  first, 
second  and  tMrd  man  dropped  hfeless,  without 
a  groan.  Muttermg  a  contemptuous  condem- 
nation of  the  new  rifie,  Younger,  without  mov- 
ing from  his  tracks,  continued  his  experiments. 
Seven  times  the  rifle  was  discharged,  each  time 
the  Guerrillas  commenting  carelessly  upon  the 
merits  of  the  Enfield,  and  fifteen  of  the  Jay- 
hawkers  lay  in  an  inanimate  heap  upon  the 
grass. 

A   SHAKP   LITTLE    FIGHT. 

In  the  summer  of  1862,  Cole  Younger  and  six 
of  his  companions  in  arms,  watched  a  house  of 
bad  repute  in  Jackson  county,  where  the  Fed- 
eral soldiers  were  in  the  habit  of  visiting,  to 
catch  some  of  the  red  legs  and  Jayhawkers, 
who.  lie  learned,  w^ere  there  almost  nightly. 
One  evening  about  dusk  he  and  his  party  made 
a  charge  upon  the  house.  Four  of  his  men, 
however,  failed  to  charge  with  him.  There 
were  six  men  in  the  house  :^t  the  time,  and 
three  of  them  immediately  retreated  out  of  the 
back  doors  and  windows.  The  other  three 
stood  their  ground  and  made  a  desperate  fight, 
one  shot  of  the  first  round  kilhng  a  conu'ade 
of  Cole  Younger.  Cole  Y'ounger  fired  two  shots 
in  rapid  succession,  both  of  which  told  with 
deadly  effect.     As  Cole  was  about  to  dismount 


COLE   YOUWCi£i:>.  ?t 

and  rush  into  the  house,  the  thiid  man  fired  at 
him  from  the  upper  door  with  a  double-barrel 
shot  gun,  loaded  with  buckshot,  some  of  the 
shot  entering  his  body  under  the  right  shoulder. 
He  carries  some  of  the  lead  to  this  day.  He 
then  fell  from  his  horse,  but  immediately  after 
rose  up  and  rushed  into  the  house,  where  he 
found  the  third  man  about  to  escape  out  of  the 
back  door,  when  he  fired  at  him  and  brought 
him  down.  As  soon  as  the  fighting  commenced 
the  women  made  their  escape  from  the  house. 
Cole  then  sank  to  the  floor  from  the  loss  of 
blood.  As  soon  as  he  recovered  he  called 
his  comrades  to  come  to  his  assistance,  which 
they  did,  and  helped  him  on  his  horse.  The 
party  then  rode  fifty  miles  before  Cole  stopped 
to  have  his  wounds  dressed,  and  receive  medi- 
cal treatment. 

A   BRUSH   WITH   JAYHAWKERS. 

In  June,  1862,  while  with  Quantrell  in  Cass 
county,  Missouri,  Cole  Younger  and  a  few  men 
stopped  at  the  house  of  a  friend  to  get  dinner, 
near  Harrison ville,  a  sentinel  being  stationed 
near  the  house  while  the  rest  dined.  Scarcely 
had  they  commenced  to  eat,  before  the  guard 
gave  the  alarm  that  a  squad  of  Federals  was 
approaching  the  house,  by  the  lane.     This  lane 


78  COLE   YOUNGER. 

was  two  miles  in  length,  running  to  the  town 
of  Harrisonville.  Fifteen  of  Quantrell's  men 
were  at  the  other  end  of  the  lane,  a  few  hun- 
dred yards  distant,  where  another  lane  crosses, 
and  in  the  rear  of  the  field  was  brush.  All 
along  this  lane  lay  grain-fields,  which  the  sun- 
ny days  of  June  had  turned  into  waving  gold. 
Nature  seemed  to  smile  all  over  these  beauti- 
ful rolling  farms,  and  say  to  the  hungry  soldier, 
^'  in  a  few  weeks  I  will  feed  you."  But  alas,  all 
was  doomed  to  be  destroyed  before  nature  had 
fulfilled  the  promise. 

Cole  Younger,  w^ho  was  acting  Captain  of  the 
scout,  ordered  his  men  to  mount  their  horses 
and  make  for  the  timber,  at  the  mouth  of  the 
lane.  At  the  head  of  this  lane  was  another 
lane  leading  off  to  the  South.  The  main  road 
leading  to  town  came  in  from  the  West,  or 
Kansas  border.  Here  Cole  and  fifteen  men  met 
sixty  of  the  Kansas  Jayhawkers,  in  the  sumac, 
at  the  head  of  the  lanes,  w^hen  Younger  cried 
out,  ''Boys,  charge  them  upon  every  hand," 
when  the  two  commands  came  together  with 
unsheathed  sabres,  drawn  revolvers  and 
whistling  bullets.  The  contest  lasted  for 
about  half  an  hour,  and  was  hotly  contested. 
It  wap  a  dashing  fight  upon  horseback,  in 
which  many  a  saddle  was  emptied  on  the  part 


COLK    YOUNGER.  79 

of  the   Jayliawkers,  as  well  as  upon  tlie  Rebel 
side. 

There  were  men  with  the  Jayhawkers  whom 
Cole  and  his  men  recognized  as  those  whom 
they  had  long  wanted  to  meet  in  deadly  con- 
flict, and  now  an  opportunity  offered  itself. 
Although  the  force  of  the  enemy  was  four 
times  as  large  as  Younger's,  he  and  his  mer 
believed  they  would  be  able  to  send  to  their 
final  resting  place  many  of  the  Jayhawkers, 
where  they  w^ould  no  longer  be  murdering 
and  plundering.  After  the  fight  raged  a  few 
moments  the  men  became  scattered,  and  each 
and  every  one  looked  out  for  himself.  At  last 
Cole  caught  the  eye  of  one  w^hom  he  longed  to 
meet,  and  the  sight  of  him  nerved  him  up  to 
the  very  highest  pitch,  and  he  determined  to 
kill  him  or  die  in  the  attempt.  He  knew  this 
fellow's  hands  were  dyed  in  the  blood  of  his 
murdered  father,  and  he  made  a  dash  at  him, 
firing  as  he  went.  The  fellow^  wheeled  his 
horse  and  dashed  over  tire  fence,  partly  knock- 
ing it  down,  and  then  struck  across  the  field, 
Younger  following  him.  Cole's  horse  proved 
the  fleetest,  and  the  Jayhawker  w^as  soon  over- 
taken and  fell  lifeless  from  his  saddle.  Younger 
then  returned  to  the  fight  in  the  edge  of  the 
brush,  and  getting  up  with  the  boys  yelled  out : 


80  CvOLE   YOUNGEK. 

"Boys,  I  got  my  main  man  I  Give  tne  damn 
thieving  cut-throats  death  on  every  hand!" 
Younger  and  his  men  hy  this  time  had  got  into 
the  edge  of  tlie  oak  timber.  Younger,  while 
endeavoring  to  get  another  of  Jiis  main  enemicr, 
run  his  horse  over  a  post-oak  brush,  with  a  very 
large  and  thick  crown,  in  which  Jie  fell,  throw- 
ing Younger  and  got  away  from  him.  He  then 
rose  up  and  crept  after  his  man  on  foot.  The  fel- 
low's horse  had  became  entangled  in  some  grape 
vines,  and  the  rider  was  endeavoring  to  extri- 
cate him  when  Younger  shot  him  dead.  Mount- 
ing the  Jayhawker's  horse.  Cole  returned  to 
the  fight.  A  good  many  of  the  Jayhav.kers 
had  fled  from  the  field.  The  remainder  and 
Younger 's  men  were  hard  at  it,  though  some 
were  killed  and  others  wounded.  At  the  close 
of  the  light  Al.  Shepard's  horse,  one  of  Cole's 
men,  w^as  seen  to  fall.  At  this  moment  Younger 
\ooked  up  the  lane  and  saw  Jennison^s  com- 
mand approaching,  when  he  ordered  his  men  to 
follow  him.  They  then  charged  a  small  squad 
of  Jayhawkers  in  the  mouth  of  the  lane,  who 
broke  .over  the  fence  and  fled  through  the  field, 
wlien  he  passed  on.  About  half  way  down  the 
lane,  soutli,  in  a  sumac  grove,  in  a  hollow,  they 
came  upon  a  small  squad  of  Jennison's  men, 
who  seemed  to  be  watering  their  horses.     The 


I'ULE    YOUNGER.  81 

meeting  was  unex])ec'te(l  on  botli  sides,  tiiough 
YoHnger  had  liis  eye  to  business,  and  at  once 
poured  a  sliower  of  bullets  into  them,  ^vhen 
they  broke  back  up  tlie  lane,  Younger  and  his 
men  following  and  firing  upon  them.  Upon 
coming  to  a  lane  at  the  end  of  the  one  they 
were  in,  they  took  east,  while  Younger  and  his 
men  turned  to  tlie  right.  In  the  fight  Younger 
lost  three  men  killed  and  five  wounded,  the 
wounded  recovering  in  a  short  time.  The 
Federal  loss  was  eleven  killed  and  seventeen 
wounded.  It  was  now  about  nightfall,  and 
Younger  returned  to  QuantrelFs  camp. 

Jennison  and  his  men  camped  at  the  farm 
house  where  Younger  and  his  men  were  eating- 
dinner  when  the  Jayhawk^rs  came  upon  them. 
The  treatment  the  family  received  at  the  hands 
of  the  Jayhawkers  was  terrible  in  the  extreme. 
They  pastured  down  the  golden  grain,  burned 
the  fencing,  destroyed  the  family  provisions, 
burned  the  dwelhng  house,  and  took  all  the 
stock  of  value  on  the  premises.  Al.  Shepard 
was  supposed  to  be  killed,  for  the  last  Cole  saw 
of  him,  he  and  his  horse  were  on  the  ground  in 
the  brush.  After  Younger  and  his  men  arrived 
at  Quantrell's  camp,  and  were  relating  the  fear- 
ful little  fight  they  had  that  day  with  the  Kan- 
sas  Jayhawkers.    and   had    partaken   of  some 


82  CoLE    YOUNLiEPv. 

refreshments,  and  were  quietly  smoking  their 
corncob  pipes,  regretting  the  loss  of  their  brave 
companions,  Cole  remarked:  "PoorAL,  how 
bravely  he  fought,  but  after  all,  poor  fellow,  he 
had  to  be  cut  down.  His  loss  as  a  soldier  is 
irreparable. ' '  While  thus  talking  over  the  past, 
and  viewing  the  future  as  best  they  could,  one 
of  the  camp  guards  cried  out :  "  Halt  there,  and 
give  the  countersign!"  "Ihavn'tgot  it,"  re- 
plied the  approaching  man  upon  horseback  in 
the  thicket.  Cole  Younger  heard  the  voice, 
knew  it,  and  jumped  up  from  where  he  was  sit- 
ting, smoking  his  pipe,  and  said :  "  There  is  no 
hell  if  that  ain't  Al.  Shepard."  Sure  enough, 
it  was  him,  mounted  on  a  spirited  charger.  He 
reported  that  at  the  dose  of  the  fight  his  horse 
became  entangled  in  the  brush  and  fell,  at  the 
same  time  he  was  struck  by  a  straggling  ball. 
Seeing  his  friends  had  left  and  night  was  ap- 
proaching, he  concealed  himself  in  the  brush 
until  dark,  and  then  captured  another  horse 
from  the  enemy.  As  they  had  killed  his,  he 
thought  tliey  were  entitled  to  furnish  him 
another.  He  kept  concealed  until  about  eight 
o'clock,  when  he  could  liear  the  Jayhawkers  at 
the  farm  house  turning  their  horses  out  to 
graze  upon  the  wheat.  Some  unsaddled  their 
horses,  while  others  were  turne.d  loose  with  the 


COLE  YOUNGER.  83 

saddles  upon  them,  and  the  bridles  taken  off 
and  fastened  to  the  horn  of  the  saddle.  The 
horses  were  scattered  through  the  field,  and 
discovering  one  good  one,  as  he  thought,  some 
distance  from  the  rest,  he  succeeded  in  coaxing 
him  to  be  quiet  until  he  secured  him,  and  then 
took  the  bridle  from  the  saddle  and  put  it  on, 
when  he  mounted  and  made  his  way  to  camp. 

SURROUNDED  IN  A  DESERTED  BUILDING. 

During  the  summer  of  1862,  while  they  were 
out  on  a  scout,  Quantrell  and  fifteen  of  his  men 
took  shelter  in  an  old  vacated  house,  in  Jackson 
county,  Missouri.  About  forty  Kansas  Jay- 
haw^kers  got  on  their  trail  some  time  previous, 
and  overhauled  them  shortly  after  entering  the 
house.  Quantrell  had  built  a  fire  and  was  dry- 
ing his  blankets.  Their  horses  were  hitched 
about  the  house.  Some  of  the  men  were  yet 
holding  their  horses.  Several  were  in  the 
house  with  Quantrell,  and  one  was  dancing  a 
jig,  when  all  at  once  the  cry  came  from  every 
side  of  the  house,  "  Surrender,  you  damn 
thievef>.''  Quantrell  said  to  his  men,  boys,  the 
Red  Legs  have  got  us  completely  surrounded. 
"God  damn  you,  come  out  and  surrender,  or  we 
will  kill  every  one  of  you,"  was  again  sounded 
in  their  ears,  uttered  by  the  leader  of  the  Jay- 


84  COLE   YOUNGER. 

hawkers.  Quantrell  asked  for  three  minutes 
time  to  consult  with  his  men,  which  was 
^ranted.  During  the  three  minutes  time 
aUowed  them,  Quantreh's  men  recapped  their 
guns  and  pistols,  folded  up  their  blankets,  etc., 
and  before  the  time  given  them  had  expired 
they  were  ready  to  scatter  death  and  destruc- 
tion among  the  Jayhawkers.  Quantrell  said  to 
his  men,  "Boys,  we  must  charge  through  them, 
and  as  soon  as  we  get  safe  in  the  saddle  open 
fire  upon  them,"  Cole  Younger  said,  "Captain, 
if  you  have  no  objections,  I  will  lead  the 
charge."  "All  right,"  replied  Capt.  Quantrell. 
Younger  rushed  from  the  house,  mounted  his 
horse,  and  turned  the  head  of  his  animal 
tow^ards  the  head  of  the  Eed  Leg  column,  with 
a  dragoon  pistol  in  each  hand,  followed  by  the 
men.  He  then  clai)ped  spurs  to  his  horse  and 
made  a  dash  for  the  head  of  the  Eed  Leg  col- 
umn. By  this  time  the  pistols  of  Younger  and 
the  men  were  being  emptied  in  the  ranks  of 
the  supposed  victorious  Jayhawkers,  who,  three 
minutes  before,  had  been  consulting  in  their 
own  minds  how  they  would  put  Quantl-ell  and 
his  men  to  death.  But  a  few  moments  time 
u])on  the  battle-field,  often  changes  the  for- 
tunes of  the  day.  The  striking  of  the  head  of 
their  column    turned  it  to  the    right,  when 


COLE   YOUNGER.  85 

Younger  charged  right  through,  followed  hy 
his  men.  Much  damage  was  inflicted  upon  the 
ranks  of  the  enemy,  while  none  of  Quantrell's 
men  were  killed.  Younger  killed  two  men  him- 
self. Many  of  the  enemy  were  killed  and 
woimded.  Three  of  Quantrell's  men  were 
slightly  wounded.  The  charge  was  a  complete 
success  and  Quantrell  and  his  men  made  good 
their  escape.  The  fight  lasted  hut  a  moment, 
but  while  it  was  going  on  was  extremely  lively. 

YOUNGER    ESCAPES,    LOSING    HIS  HORSE,  COAT,    ETC. 

In  the  month  of  January,  1863,  in  Jackson 
county,  Missouri,  Cole  Younger  stopped  at  the 
house  of  a  friend  to  stay  for  the  night,  the 
weather  being  quite  cold,  and  four  inches  of 
snow  on  the  ground.  He  had  been  in  the 
woods  all  day,  while  the  snow  was  falling.  At 
night  it  ceased  snowing  and  the  weather 
became  very  cold.  After  dark  he  rode  close  to 
a  cornfield,  tied  his  horse  and  went  into  the 
field  to  procure  some  corn  for  the  animal.  The 
field  belonged  to  a  friend  of  the  Confederate 
cause,  and  he  felt  no  compunctions  of  con- 
science in  taking  a  small  amount  of  corn.  The 
old  gentleman  was  yet  at  home,  as  he  was,  at 
that  time,  like  a  great  many  others,  w^ho  sym- 
pathized with  the   Southe^^n  cause.     He  had 


86  '  COLR    YOUNGER. 

been  forced  to  take  the  iron- clad  oath,  or  one 
similar  to  the  one  known  by  that  name,  and  by 
complying  with  its  provisions  the  Federals 
promised  him  protection.  The  oath  was  fre- 
quently administered  in  order  to  keep  them 
under  subjection,  yet,  nevertheless,  the  cut- 
throat militia  would  come  upon  them  with  the 
plea  that  they  had  been  feeding  bushwhackei's 
and  shoot  them  down  like  wolves.  This  is  the 
kind  of  civil  war  that  was  carried  on  in  Mis- 
souri, by  the  militia  bands,  which  were  made 
up,  as  a  rule,  of  the  very  worst  class  of  men  in 
the  State. 

But,  to  come  directly  to  the  point,  this  friend 
of  Youngers  was  feeding  his  cattle  upon  the 
side  of  the  field  where  Younger  had  fed  his 
horse,  and  thus  it  will  be  perceived  that  any 
morning  the  stock  would  blot  out  all  traces  of 
any  one  having  been  there  to  feed  his  horse. 
After  feeding,  Y^ounger  would  go  into  the  stock 
trail,  which  led  up  to  the  barn,  and  went  into 
the  house  to  stay  over  night,  as  it  was  very  cold, 
and  he  concluded  the  Federals  would  not  be  apt 
to  move  around  much  that  night.  Younger 
was  sitting  by  the  fire  and  had  pulled  ofi  his 
coat  and  boots,  preparatory  to  going  to  bed.  It 
was  then  about  nine  o'clock.  The  dogs  had 
kept  up  a  barking  for  some  time,  and  the  gen- 


COLE  YOUNGER.  87 

tleman  of  the  house  had  gone  to  the  door  sev- 
eral tmies,  but  could  not  hear  anything  hut  the 
stock  tramping  around,  apparently  hunting 
shelter  from  the  cold  wind.  It  was  not  snow- 
ing, but  tlie  clouds  were  thick  and  heavy.  Not 
a  star  was  to  be  seen.  While  Younger  was  thus 
sitting  by  the  lire,  all  the  family  having  gone 
to  bed,  except  the  gentleman  of  the  house,  he 
and  his  friend  happened  to  hear  the  latch  of  the 
gate  open.  Instantly  Cole  sprang  up  and  made 
for  the  back  door.  He  had  no  time  to  get  his 
boots  or  coat.  He  opened  the  door  and  w^ent 
into  the  back  yard.  As  he  did  so  the  landlord 
made  a  terrible  ado  with  a  dog,  apparently  in 
the  back  room,  where  the  militia  supposed, 
hearing  the  noise,  the  man  was  trying  to  get 
out  to  enable  Younger  to  go  to  bed.  But  really 
he  was  only  trying  to  secrete  Younger's  coat 
and  boots  from  the  gaze  of  the  soldiers  when 
they  entered  the  house.  The  mihtia  came  to  the 
door  with  cocked  guns  and  pistols  in  their  hands, 
and  when  the  door  was  opened  they  covered  the 
gentleman  of  the  house,  saying :  "  Where  is 
that  damned  Cole  Younger?"  "  I  have  not  seen 
him,"  wasthe reply,  "for  months,  though  I  heard 
my  wife  say  he  was  here  this  morning.  He 
stopped  here  and  made  my  wife  get  him  some- 
thing to  eat,  or,  rather  he  got  it  himseK,  by  go- 


88  COLE   YOUNGEK. 

ing  to  the  safe  and  helping  himself  to  as  much  as 
he  wanted/'  repHed  the  gentleman  of  the  house, 
"  and  I  was  going  up  in  the  morning  to  report 
the  fact,  and  would  have  been  up  this  afternoon 
but  I  had  no  feed  out  of  the  field  for  my  hogs, 
and  have  been  shucking  corn  all  day.  Under 
the  circumstances  I  tliought  it  would  make  no 
difference."  They  replied,  ''Oh,  no,"  and  un- 
covered him  with  their  pistols  and  guns,  "but  we 
must  search  your  house."  "All  right,"  replied 
the  gentleman.  The  leader  of  the  squad  re- 
marked :  "I  guess  we  ^von't  find  anything  in  the 
shape  of  Younger,  for  you  have  told  us  a  very 
straight  and  reasonable  tale."  Younger's  coat 
and  boots  had  been  thrown  in  an  old  box  and  a 
lot  of  carpet  rags  thrown  over  them,  thus  eft'ec- 
tually  hiding  them  from  view.  The  house  was 
thoroughly  searched,  but  no  traces  of  Younger 
were  to  be  found.  The  leader  said,  "We 
thought  we  had  him,  sure,  as  we  found  his  horse 
tied  to  the  back  of  your  field  to-night,  and  got 
him."  "I  do  wonder!"  replied  the  host.'  "  Y^'es 
we  did,"  rephed  the  leader  of  the  squad:  "he 
was  seen  by  one  of  our  friends,  near  dark,  in 
the  woods,  half  a  mile  north  of  your  field,  and 
ohis  fact  was  reported.  When  seen  by  the  good 
Union  man,  he  and  his  horse  were  under  a  clump 
of  brush,  Cole  Younger  having  his  back  towards 


COLE    YOUNGEB.  89 

him."  "  Might  it  not  have  been  some  one  else?" 
asked  the  gentleman.  "Oh,  no,"  replied  the 
leader,  ''  this  man  knoAVs  Cole  Younger  too  well 
to  be  mistaken.  At  the  time  he  saw  him  he 
seemed  to  be  very  cold,  and  was  stamping  his 
feet  upon  the  ground.  We  went  to  the  place 
and  struck  his  horse's  track  and  followed  it  to 
where  he  tied  and  fed,  and  supposed  he  had  come 
to  your  house  or  barn  to  sleep."  ''  Well,  he  may 
be  in  the  barn  now,"  replied  the  gentleman. 
"No,  he  is  not,"  replied  the  leader,  "we  have 
been  all  over  the  hay  and  oats  in  the  barn  loft, 
he  is  not  there."  "Oh,  well,"  replied  the  far- 
mer, "he  may  be  in  a  shock  of  fodder  in  the 
field."  "Well,"  replied  the  leader,  ''if  he  is  he 
will  have  to  stay  there  to-night,  but  we  will 
give  him  a  round  in  the  morning.  It  is  too  cold 
to-night  to  hunt  any  further."  The  farmer  re- 
marked that  "he  seemed  to  be  nearly  starved 
that  morning,  as  his  wife  told  him  that  he  ate 
very  greedily."  "  We  will  give  him  bullets  to 
eat  in  the  morning,"  replied  the  leader,  and  off 
they  went. 

Cole  Younger,  after  passing  out  the  back 
door,  went  on  through  the  garden,  and  got  on 
top  of  a  plank  fence,  on  wdiich  he  w'alked  the 
whole  length,  about  half  a  mile,  to  a  county 
road,  on  which  there  was  always  considerable 


90  COLE   YOUNGER. 

travel,  it  being  a  neighborhood  road.  Younger 
jumped  from  the  fence  and  landed  in  the  mid- 
dle of  the  road,  which,  to  his  great  delight,  was 
pretty  well  tramped  up  by  people  and  stock 
passing  after  the  snow  had  ceased  falling.  He 
knew  of  a  friend  on  this  road,  two  miles  off, 
and  walked  there  as  rapidly  as  possible.  He 
reached  the  house  about  twelve  o'clock  that 
night  and  knocked  at  the  door,  when  he  was 
answered,  "  Who  is  there?  "  Cole  replied,  "  A 
friend."  The  man  at  once  recognized  Young- 
er's  voice  and  got  up  and  opened  the  door. 
Younger  then  told  his  friend  what  had  hap- 
pened to  him.  His  friend  replied,  "I  see  you 
are  badly  off  for  a  coat  and  a  pair  of  boots,  and 
must  be  near  frozen."  *'  Oh,  no,"  rephed 
Younger,  "  I  can  stand  a  great  deal ;  I  am  used 
to  roughing  it."  "Where  is  your  horse,"  in- 
quired his  friend.  "I  tied  him  at  the  back  of 
Mr.  — — 's  field  and  fed  him  after  night,  and  I 
guess  they  have  got  him;  at  least  I  shall  not 
go  back  to  look  for  him.  I  want  you  to  fur- 
nish me  a  coat,  boots  and  horse."  "I  can  fur- 
nish you  a  coat  and  let  you  have  my  Sunday 
boots,"  replied  his  friend,  ''but  the  horse  I 
cannot,  as  the  Federals  will  find  it  out."  "Oh, 
said  Younger,  "  that  can  easily  be  awpnororl  so 
as  to  screen  you  from  harm.    Just 


COLK   YOUNG KK.  9--' 

in  the  morning  and  repoi't  that  your  liorse  wa*i 
stolen  last  night,  with  saddle  and  hridle,  ai)^^ 
they  will  quickly  accuse  me  of  it/'  "That  wii-* 
do,"  said  the  friend,  and  straightway  he  wen:' 
to  the  stable,  put  the  saddle  and  bridle  on  the 
horse,  then  returned  to  tlie  house,  telhn^- 
Younger  that  tlie  horse  was  in  the  stable,  ah 
ready.  Cole  then  put  on  tlie  coat  and  boot? 
and  was  soon  off,  and  by  sunrise  was  in  1  jafay- 
ette  county,  twenty-live  miles  distant. 

SUCCESSFULLY    TKAPPED. 

In  July,  1873,  while  Cole  Younger  and 
eighteen  men  were  in  a  creek  bottom,  in  Jack- 
son county,  Missouri,  Younger  discovered  on 
the  prairie,  about  one  mile  distant,  a  compan}^ 
of  the  Missouri  Militia  making  for  a  farm  house, 
as^was  supposed.  Yoimger  and  his  men  kept 
their  eyes  upon  them  until  they  arrived  at  the 
house  and  began  to  dismount.  They  w^ere 
about  thirty  in  number.  Cole  eagerly  watched 
them,  to  ascertain,  if  possible,  their  move- 
ments. At  length  he  said,  "  Boys,  by  properly 
managing  it,  I  believe  we  can  get  a  few^  of 
them."  "  Well,"  replied  one  of  the  men,  "how 
shall  we  go  about  doing  it?"  "My  plan  is 
this,"  said  Younger,  "  We  will  drop  down  in 
the  heavy  timber,  in  the  creek  bottom,  along 


^  rOLE   YOUNGER. 

t'ne  loc^'i,  and  arrange  ourselves  in  the  follow- 
ing manner :  Divide  the  men  into  two  squads 
upon  each  side  of  tlie  road,  opposite  one  an- 
other. One  squad  to  drop  hack  in  the  brush 
ten  or  fifteen  paces ;  the  other  half  to  pass  on 
down  the  road  sixty  or  one  hundred  yards  in 
advance  of  the  first  pai  ty,  secreted  and  situated 
similarly.  Then  send  two  men  up  the  main 
road  which  leads  by  the  house,  and  as  those 
two  men  near  the  house  the  militia  will  dis- 
cover them  and  put  in  full  charge  after  them, 
and  when  those  two  men  see  them  coming  to 
fire  on  them  and  wheel  and  take  back  down  the 
road,  and  they  will,  I  believe,  at  once  come  to 
the  conclusion  that  they  are  deserters,  aiming 
to  make  their  way  home,  and  will  exert  them- 
selves to  the  utmost  to  ove^'take  and  arrest 
them ;  the  two  m^n  sent  out  to  retreat  back  io 
where  we  are  stationed,  passing  on  through, 
and  when  those  stationed  furthest  up  the  road 
find  that  they  have  all  passed  by,  to  fire  on 
them  from  a  kneeling  position,  ^Jius  allowing 
the  bullets  from  each  side  to  pass  over  our 
hpads  and  horses ;  and  as  soon  as  the  rear  men 
commence  firing,  those  in  front  to  follow  in 
Hke  manner. ' '  Every  man  present  signified  his 
acceptance  of  the  proposed  plan,  a??d  at  once 
two  volunteers  rode  outj  signifying  thw  will- 


COLE   YOUNGER.  95 

ingiiess  to  act  as  decoys  to  draw  tlie  militia 
into  the  trap,  planned  by  Cole  Younger's  culti- 
vated soldierly  thought. 

Up  the  road  went  the  two  decoys,  mounted 
upon  two  very  beautiful  and  fleet  chargers,  who 
were  so  full  of  spirit  that  they  kept  champing 
on  their  bits,  and  in  a  few  moments  two  shots 
were  heard  up  the  road,  not  far  from  the  farm- 
house where  the  militia  were  seen  to  stop.  In 
a  few  moments  the  secreted  and  awaiting  Reb- 
els heard  and  saw  their  two  cavalrymen  coming 
down  the  road,  with  revolvers  in  hand  and  nr- 
ing  in  the  rear  of  them.  On  they  came  and 
passed  through  the  trap,  followed  by  the  mili- 
tia, and  as  soon  as  the  last  one  had  passed  in, 
the  rear  men  opened  fire  on  them,  which  was 
immediately  followed  by  those  in  front.  Nine 
dead  and  wounded  men  lay  in  the  road  in  a 
few  moments.  Four  chanced  to  escape  out 
of  the  trap.  One  of  those  who  were  killed 
was  well  known  to  Younger.  He  was  a  good 
man,  but  had  been  persuaded  to  join  the 
mihtia.  Younger  regretted  his  death,  but  it 
was  now  too  late.  When  Younger  looked 
upon  his  hfeless  body  he  almost  shed  tears. 
He  was  a  warm  personal  friend  of  Cole 
Younger.  Several  of  the  horses  belonging  to 
the  militia  were  killed  and  wounded.    Not  a 


96  COLE   YOUNGER. 

single  one  of  Younger 's  men  was  either  killed 
or  wounded. 

THE  INDEPENDENCE  FIGHT. 

On  the  first  of  August,  1862,  Quantrell  sent 
a  dispatch  to  Cole  Younger  to  meet  ]iim  eight 
miles  east  of  Independence.  At  tliis  time 
Younger  was  camped  near  the  farm  of  Mr. 
Thomas  Talley,  on  Cedar  Creek,  in  Jackson 
county,  having  about  forty  men  under  his  com- 
mand. After  reading  the  dispatch  he  ordered 
his  men  to  mount  their  horses.  It  was  then 
about  five  o'clock  in  the  evening.  He  at  once 
proceeded  to  carry  out  orders,  and  rode  ofi'  at  a 
rapid  rate,  making  a  circuit  of  about  twenty 
miles  in  order  to  get  around  the  Federal  post, 
and  reached  his  destination  in  an  almost  incred- 
ible short  space  of  time.  They  were  then  eight 
miles  east  of  Independence,  which  they  designed 
attacking  at  daylight.  The  Federal  force  at 
Independence  numbered  about  six  hundred  men, 
under  the  command  of  Col.  Buel.  Quantrell 
took  the  main  road  for  Independence,  placing 
Cole  Younger  in  the  advance.  When  near  the 
town  a  halt  was  made  for  a  short  time,  after 
which,  according  to  previous  arrsCngements, 
Cole  Younger  led  the  charge.  He  charged 
through  the  town,  directly  under  the  tire  of  the 


COLE   YOUNGER.  97 

guard,  who  were  stationed  at  the  bank.  At  the 
first  round  Kit  Childs,  one  of  his  men,  was 
killed.  Col.  Huglies,  a  Confederate  Colonel,  who 
chanced  to  be  with  them,  was  also  killed  shortly 
afterwards. 

Younger  led  his  advancing  ])arty  on  through 
the  town  to  the  main  Federal  camp,  stationed 
about  one  mile  west  of  Independence,  where  he 
made  a  bold  and  daring  charge  upon  them,  driv- 
ing them,  some  five  hundred  strong,  into  the 
woods  and  behind  a  stone  fence,  near  by. 
Yoimger  then  dismounted  his  men ;  a  general 
engagement  was  commenced ;  advantage  was 
taken  of  trees,  stumps,  &c.,  and  a  lively  fire  was 
kept  up  on  the  enemy.  In  the  meantime,  Quan- 
trell  was  engaging  those  in  the  vicinity  of  the 
bank.  Younger  kept  up  a  lively  fire  until  about 
11  o'clock,  when  he  made  a  charge  upon  them 
and  gained  possession  of  the  stone  fence,  which 
enabled  him  to  keep  up  a  continuous  fire  upon 
their  then  exposed  ranks,  which  continued  but 
a  short  time  until  the  Federals  made  an  uncon- 
ditional surrender.  He  then  ordered  them  to 
stack  their  arms,  and,  after  placing  a  small 
guard  over  them,  took  his  main  force  and  re- 
joined Quantrell  at  the  court-house,  which  was 
opposite  the  bank. 

Younger  then  took  his  men  and  arranged  them 

G 


98  COLE   YOUNGEK. 

in  the  rear  of  the  bank,  so  as  to  effectually  pre- 
vent the  Federals  from  firing  upon  tlxem,  while 
he  and  another  man  procured  a  lot  of  hay  or 
straw  from  a  barn  near  by  and  proceeded  to  fire 
the  bank  at  a  door  in  the  rear  of  the  building. 
After  the  bank  Avas  discovered  to  be  on  fire  the 
Federals  attempted  to  put  it  out,  but  a  few  well 
directed  shots  caused  them  to  hastily  retreat. 
At  length  the  building  got  well  under  w^ay  of 
the  flames,  when  Col.  Buel  and  his  men,  about 
one  hundred,  surrendered  unconditionally.  Dur- 
ing this  wdiole  engagement  the  loss  of  Quan- 
trelFs  men  footed  up  but  nine,  while  those  of 
the  Federals  amounted  to  83.  All  the  prison- 
ers were  then  brought  together  and  placed  in 
line,  after  which  they  were  paroled.  After  this 
Quantrell  and  his  men  proceeded  to  the  stables 
where  the  Federal  horses  were,  intending  to 
select  the  best,  and  while  looking  at  and  exam- 
ining them,  an  Irishman,  a  paroled  prisoner, 
who  was  sitting  on  the  fence,  said  to  Cole 
Younger,  "  Be  jabers,  and  I  believe  you're  the 
same  man  that  hollered  so  much."  Younger 
replied,  I  yelled  out  several  times.  "Faith  and 
I  likes  your  looks  better  than  any  of  them  other 
fellows,  and  if  you  will  come  Avith  me  I  will  give 
you  Spile  Driver,  the  best  horse  on  top  of 
ground ;  he  will  carry  you  any  place. ' '    Younger 


COLE    YOUNGER.  99 

a,t  once  agreed  to  go  and  see  Uie  horse,  and 
found  him  to  he  an  excellent  one,  and  at  once 
appropriated  him  to  his  own  use.  He  kept  him 
the  remainder  of  the  war,  although  he  was  not 
kept  in  active  service  all  the  time.  Quantrell 
withdrew  his  men  from  town  and  went  into 
camp  at  old  Mr.  Walker's,  some  eight  miles 
soiitliwest  of  Independence,  from  which  place 
he  sent  Cole  Younger  to  meet  Gen.  Cockrell, 
who  had  dispatched  Quantrell  that  he  was  com- 
ing in  from  the  South,  to  recruit. 

THE  BATTLE    OF   LONE   JACK. 

On  the  15th  day  of  August,  1862,  the  day  after 
the  Independence  fight.  Cole  Younger,  with 
about  forty  men,  started  to  meet  Cockrell,  go- 
ing as  far  as  the  Sny  Hills,  the  first  day,  where 
he  stopped  for  the  night.  The  next  morning 
he  heard  firing  in  the  direction  of  Lone  Jack, 
about  nine  miles  distant,  and  at  once  went  to 
the  scene  of  battle,  getting  there  at  the  time 
the  battle  raged  the  hottest,  about  two  hours 
after  it  commenced.  After  arriving  at  the 
scene  of  deadly  conflict,  and  taking  a  survey  of 
the  field  to  ascertain  the  position  of  the  Con- 
federate forces,  he  proceeded  to  report  to  Gen. 
Cockrell,  who  informed  him  that  he  needed 
cavalry,   as  all  his  horses  were  jaded.     Cole 


100  COLE   YOUNGER. 

Younger  then  told  Cockrell  that  he  had  forty 
men,  all  well  mounted  and  armed,  and  then 
proceeded  to  carry  out  the  instructions  of 
Cockrell.  He  took  position  on  the  left,  in 
the  brush,  and  did  much  effective  service. 
Finally,  he  discovered  a  company  of  men  off 
some  distance,  in  the  rear,  wlio  seemed  not  to 
be  engaged  in  the  tight.  Thinking  this  strange, 
as  he  knew  Cockrell  had  ]io  men  that  ought  to 
be  idle,  he  rode  over  to  them  and  asked  why 
they  were  not  engaged  in  the  tight.  Their 
reply  was,  they  had  no  annnunition.  He  then 
told  them  to  hold  on  and  lie  would  get  them 
some,  and  at  once  rode  back  to  where  his  men 
were  in  hne  and  gathered  up  considerable  am- 
mimition,  his  men  always  carrying  an  extra 
supply,  and  returned  back  to  the  company  in 
the  rear  and  distributed  it  among  them.  As 
he  was  about  to  leave  he  met  the  Captain,  and 
at  once  discovered,  as  he  tbought,  that  he  had 
been  mistaken  in  the  men,  and  that  they  were 
Federal  militia,  instead  of  Confederates.  Quick 
as  thought  he  determined  to  correct  the  mis- 
take he  had  made,  and  told  the  Captain  he  had 
orders  from  headquarters  to  tell  him  to  hold 
his  men  in  that  position  until  further  orders. 
After  some  few  words  with  the  mihtia  Captain, 
Cole  Younger  rode  back  to  his  command  and 


COLE   YOUNGER.  101 

made  several  fmccessfiil  charges    before    the 
fight  terminated. 

PARTICULARS    OF   THE   BATTLE. 

Much  has  been  said  and  written  about  the 
events  which  occurred  during  the  late  war,  but 
as  yet  nothing  of  a  definite  character  has  been 
written  about  the  battle  of  Lone  Jack,  Mis- 
souri. An  eye-witness  and  participant  in  the 
whole  aifair,  furnishes  us  the  following : 

The  battle  was  fought  on  Saturday,  the  16th 
day  of  August,  1862.  Lone  Jack  is  a  small 
village  situated  in  the  eastern  part  of  Jackson 
county,  Missouri.  About  the  first  of  August, 
1862,  Col.  Bard.  Cockrell  was  commanding  a 
small  battahon  of  Confederate  troops  then  sta- 
tioned at  the  mouth  of  Frog  Bayou,  a  small 
tributary  of  the  Arkansas  river,  which  empties 
its  waters  into  said  stream  about  fifteen  miles 
below  Fort  Smith.  Fort  Smith,  as  many 
are  aware,  is  one  of  the  principal  commercial 
towns  of  the  State  of  Arkansas,  and  is  situated 
upon  the  right  bank  of  the  Arkansas  river,  405 
miles  from  its  mouth.  From  this  place  Col. 
Cockrell  advanced  with  his  command,  by  the 
way  of  Cane  Hill,  Arkansas,  a  small  inland 
town,  situated  in  the  western  part  of  the  State, 
upon  the  Cherokee  line.     We  camped  at  this 


102  COLE   YOUNGER. 

place  one  day  and  night,  cooking  up  rations  for 
our  mess.  Tliey  marched  from  this  place  by 
way  of  Cross  Hollows,  xVrkansas,  and  entered 
Missouri  south  of  Newtonia.  This  is  a  small 
village,  located  in  the  eastern  part  of  Newton 
county,  Missouri.  At  this  place  the  Federals 
had  a  Mihtary  post  established,  which  was  held 
by  the  Missouri  Militia.  They  had  the  Govern- 
ment stores  deposited  there  for  all  of  their 
troops  then  acting  in  that  part  of  Southwest 
Missouri.  On  the  evening  of  the  12th  of 
August,  1862,  a  feint  attack  was  made  upon 
this  place,  in  order  to  draw,  or  cause  the  enemy 
to  evacuate  the  small  garrisoned  towns  along 
the  line  between  Kansas  and  Missouri,  for  this 
was  their  stronghold,  and  all  their  essentials 
and  necessaries  were  here  deposited.  It  was 
absolutely  necessary  that  they  should  hold  this 
place  at  all  hazards,  as  if  lost  it  would  be  the 
death-knell  to  those  other  towns  held  in  this 
part  of  the  State,  for  some  months  to  come. 
Their  forces  stationed  at  other  places  in  the 
vicinity,  when  Newtonia  was  threatened,  were 
by  orders  of  the  commanding  officer  of  this 
district,  to  evacuate  and  flock  to  the  defence  of 
Newtonia.  For  an  inland  post  it  was  well  forti- 
fied, being  enclosed  by  a  stone  fence  or  a  wall 
five  feet  high,  and  of  the  proper  thickness  to 


COLE   YOUNGER.  103 

shelter  them  from  ordinary  assaults  from  the 
outside.  Inside  of  this  wall  was  a  stone  barn, 
also  surrounded  by  a  stone  wall. 

After  skirmishing  with  the  Federals  until 
nightfall,  the  cavalry  fell  back  tw^o  miles,  feed- 
ing the  animals  and  resting  until  8  o'clock  at 
night.  They  then  made  another  feint  on  the 
place,  and  found  out  the  troops  from  other 
towms  were  hastening  to  the  defence  of  New- 
tonia.  Col.  Cockrell,  perceiving  that  his  pur- 
pose for  attacking  the  place  was  fully  accom- 
plished, drew  ofi"  his  troops  and  made  a  forced 
march  for  Northwest  Missouri,  passing  through 
the  Avestern  tier  of  counties  bordering  upon 
Kansas.  Col.  J.  T.  Coffee  had  entered  Mis- 
souri southwest  of  Springfield,  some  days  be- 
fore Cockrell  had  come  into  the  State,  and  had 
proceeded  upon  that  line  as  far  north  as  Hu- 
mansville.  The  Federal  Militia  being  too 
numerous,  and  it  becoming  rather  uncomfort- 
ably hot  for  his  handful  of  men,  from,  this 
place  Col.  Coffee  marched  west  as  far  as  the 
w^est  part  of  St.  Clair  county.  While  here  he 
learned  from  a  small  scouting  party  of  Cock- 
rell's  that  he,  Cockrell,  w^as  passing  up  the  line 
between  Missouri  and  Kansas,  with  a  batallion 
of  five  hundred  men,  making  his  way  to  North- 
west Missouri.    Col.  Coffee  immediately  dis- 


104  COLE   YOUNGEK. 

patched  a  courier  to  overtake  Col.  Cocki'ell 
and  say  to  him  that  he,  Coffee,  was  on  a  forced 
march  to  overtake  him,  Cockrell,  and  wished  to 
act  with  him  while  in  the  State  of  Missouri. 
To  this  request  Col.  Cockrell  acquiesced,  stop- 
ping at  Pleasant  Gap,  Missouri,  until  Col. 
Coffee  came  up,  which  was  but  a  few  hours  af- 
terwards. 

Col.  Coffee  had  a  command  of  about  two 
himdred  men  ;  Col.  Tracey  had  about  two  hun- 
dred, and  Col.  Hunter,  who  had  been  acting 
with  Cockrell  since  he  entered  the  State  had  a 
small  force  of  new  recruits.  When  the  whole 
force  were  consolidated  they  ]iad  about  nine 
hundred  men. 

From  this  place  they  made  a  forced  march, 
aiming  to  get  to  Jackson  county  before  the 
news  could  be  dispatched  aliead  of  the  com- 
mand by  the  enemy.  I  would  here  remark 
that  they  did  not  enter  the  State  for  the  pur- 
pose of  fighting  battles,  unless  the  safety  of 
the  command  demanded  it.  Their  sole  object 
was  for  the  purpose  of  recruiting  for  the  Con- 
federate army  of  the  Trans-Mississippi  Depart- 
ment. They  had  learned  while  in  Arkansas 
that  there  were  many  men  in  the  brush  in 
Missouri  who  had  been  driven  from  their  homes 
and  dear  ones  by  the  Militia,  who  had  entire 


nOLE    YijUNOER.  105 

control  of  the  State  at  that  time.  It  was  also 
said  that  the  Militia  had  threatened  every  man 
who  was  southern  in  his  sympathies  and  feel- 
ings, or  sympathized  with  the  cause  of  the 
South,  with  instant  death,  if  they  did  not 
come  into  the  posts  and  surrender  themselves 
to  the  Federal  authorities.  Such  an  order,  it 
was  said,  had  been  issued,  and  this  inspired 
every  true  patriot  who  w^as  devoted  to  the  land 
of  his  birth,  and  the  cause  of  his  people,  and 
made  all  feel  called  upon  to  rally  to  the  sup- 
port of  their  friends  and  release  them  from  the 
cruel  hands  of  their  oppressors. 

By  this  time  recruits  in  squads  of  from  five 
to  fifteen  began  to  join  our  command.  The 
Confederate  Cavalry  entered  Lone  Jack  on  the 
evening  of  the  15th  ^of  Auguf^t,  about  six 
o'clock,  halting  but  a  few  moments  to  get 
what  news  could  be  gathered,  not  even  dis- 
mounting, and  also  to  ascertain  a  suitable 
place  to  camp  that  night,  as  they  wished  ra- 
tions for  the  men  and  provender  for  the  horses. 
After  the  desired  information  had  been  ob- 
tained. Col.  Cockrell  led  his  command  on  about 
tw^o  miles,  to  a  wooded  pasture,  northwest  of 
Lone  Jack. 

This  town  took  its  name  from  a  great  black 
jack  tree,  which  stands  upon  the  high  prairie  a 


106  COLE    YOUNGER. 

short  distance  south  of  town.  The  tree  can  be 
seen  to  this  day,  hut  we  learn  it  has  ceased  to 
put  forth  its  fohage,  as  of  yore. 

CoL  Coffee  went  into  camp  about  half  a  mile 
southwest  of  Lone  Jack,  upon  the  Pleasant 
Hill  road.  Col.  Tracey  camped  not  far  from 
C6l.  Cockrell. 

About  eight  o'clock  the  same  evening  985 
Federal  cavalry  entered  town,  witb  two  pieces 
of  artillery,  commanded  by  Maj.  Foster,  acting 
as  Colonel.  Col.  Cockrell  had  been  well  ac- 
quainted with  Maj.  Foster  before  the  war,  and 
even  up  to  the  time  of  the  breaking  out  of  the 
war,  he  having  lived  in  Warrensburg,  Mo.,  the 
home  of  Col.  Cockrell.  He  was  known  to  be  a 
brave  and  resolute  man.  The  Federal  troops 
were  mounted  on  excellent  horses,  armed  with 
Spencer  rifles,  Colts'  dragoon  revolvers,  and 
had  two  pieces  of  artillery,  being  brass  pieces, 
and  were  a  portion  of  an  Indian  brass  battery 
of  eleven  guns.  To  use  their  own  words,  they 
had  been  sent  out  from  Lexington,  Mo.,  to 
capture  Quantrell,  who  had  captured  Independ- 
ence, Mo.,  a  few  days  previous,  killing  several 
of  the  Federal  troops.  It  seemed  that  word 
had  been  sent  to  Lexington  that  Quantrell  was 
to  be  in  Lone  Jack  on  the  16th  of  August,  and 
the  Federal  authorities  believed  the  information 


COLE   YOUNGER.  107 

they  had  received  to  be  authentic,  and  were 
still  of  this  opinion  until  the  battle  was  over. 
Tliese  facts  were  learned  from  one  of  their  men 
who  was  captured,  who  was  one  of  their  gun- 
ners, and  the  only  one  who  survived,  the  bal- 
ance falhng  in  action.  Quantrell  was  not  in 
the  town  on  the  16th,  having  gone  above  Inde- 
pendence with  the  most  of  his  men  about  nine 
o'clock  the  night  previous.  Col.  Cockrell  had 
received  word  that  Lone  Jack  was  in  the  pos- 
session of  the  Federals.  At  this  time  but  few 
families  were  living  in  the  town,  but  those  who 
were  there  were  as  true  as  steel  to  the  Confed- 
erate cause.  Those  ladies,  as  there  was  nobody 
but  women  and  children,  were  true  patriots, 
and  when  the  Federals  endeavored  to  find  out 
from  them  where  Quantrell  and  his  men  had 
gone  to,  they  knew  nothing  about  it.  Not  sup- 
posing or  knowing  of  any  other  Confederate 
troops  being  in  the  country,  they  did  not  inquire 
about  any  but  Quantrell's  men.  As  soon  as 
Col.  Cockrell  had  received  the  information  that 
the  Federals  were  in  town,  he  ordered  his  men 
to  mount  their  horses.  They  then  marched 
out,  coming  into  the  road  that  leads  from  Ijone 
Jack  to  Independence.  After  arriving  at  a 
point  of  timber,  at  the  edge  of  the  prairie,  they 
halted,  dismounted,  and  hitched  their  horses. 


108  COLE    YOUNGER. 

The  men  were  then  ordered  to  fall  into  hne, 
which  was  done  'at  short  notice,  and  inarched 
directly  down  the  road  some  distance,  and 
were  then  formed  in  line  of  battle.  The  hne 
run  parallel  with  the  road,  on  a  piece  of  low 
land.  This  was  about  ten  o'clock  at  night. 
After  remaining  in  hne  a  short  time,  the  men 
were  ordered  to  he  down  in  line  upon  their 
arms  and  await  further  orders.  Col.  Jackman 
gave  orders  to  his  men  to  be  silent,  as  the 
enemy  were  expected  upon  that  road. 

Jackman  said  to  his  men:  '^  Soldiers,  there 
are  about  one  thousand  Federal  cavalry  in 
Lone  Jack,  having  with  them  two  pieces  of 
ai*tillery.  This  fact  I  learned  from  a  citizen  of 
the  town,  who  left  there  after  the  enemy  came 
in.  They  are  all  well  armed  and  mounted  upon 
good  horses.  If  they  don't  spy  out  our  where- 
abouts to-night,  we  will  attack  them  at  early 
dawn  on  the  coming  of  the  morrow.  Men,  I 
feel  that  we  are  going  to  have  a  hard  light  of  it, 
as  the  enemy  is  commanded  by  a  very  resolute 
officer,  one  who  knows  no  fear  upon  the  field  of 
battle,  and  I  suppose  his  men  are  picked  cav- 
alry-men, selected  from  different  regiments. 
What  leads  me  to  think  so  is  this — they  have 
come  out  from  Lexington  in  search  of  Quan- 
trell  and  his  band  of  braves,  and  they  know  full 


COLE  YOUNGER.  109 

well  it  will  take  men  of  extraordinary  nerve  to 
cope  with  Capt.  Qiiantrell  anywhere  in  Jackson 
county,  and  especially  in  the  Sny  hills."  Some 
one  said,  ''  Colonel,  can't  we  get  out  of  it  with- 
out a  fight?  "  "  No,"  said  the  Colonel,  "  those 
Federals  are  now  close,  in  striking  distance, 
and  mounted  on  much  better  animals  than  we 
have ;  and  moreover,  they  are  fat  and  in  excel- 
lent plight.  The  most  of  ours  are  jaded  down. 
Therefore,  if  we  were  to  endeavor  to  fiee  from  the 
country,  we  would  be  overtaken  and  the  most 
of  us  cut  down  by  the  enemy.  Thus  you  will 
see  that  we  are  compelled  to  offer  battle  in  the 
morning,  and  we,  my  brave  soldiers,  must  gain 
a  decided  victory  over  the  enemy  or  leave  our 
bodies  upon  the  field  of  battle.  And  I  know 
full  well  you  possess  the  nerve.  Never  has 
nerve  yet  forsaken  you  while  upon  the  field  of 
battle,  in  the  face  of  the  invaders  of  our  most 
happy  and  prosperous  country,  where  our  loved 
ones  dwelt  in  peace,  plenty  and  happiness. 
Therefore,  if  we  engage  the  enemy  in  battle  in 
the  morning,  let  each  and  every  one  of  us 
resolve  to  conquer  or  die  upon  the  field,  and  we 
will  gain  a  decided  victory  over  the  foe,  who 
has  caused  so  many  mothers,  wives  and  sisters 
to  weep  and  w^ail  over  the  loss  of  their  dear 
ones,  who  have  been  shot  down  in  cold  blood 


110  COLE   YOUKGEK, 

by  the  thieving,  cut- throat  mihtia  of  Missouri, 
aided  by  the  Kansas  Red  Legs  and  Jayhawkers. 
The  most  brutal  murders^  ever  recorded  in  the 
pages  of  history  are  no  comparison  to  some  of 
those  committed  in  Missouri." 

This  short  speech  of  the  Colonel  caused  an 
unquenchable  flame  of  patriotism  and  revenge 
to  burn  within  the  breast  of  almost  every  man, 
many  of  whom  had  their  dear  fathers  and  affec- 
tionate brothers  shot  down  in  cold  blood,  at  the 
dark  hours  of  midnight,  as  well  as  by  day. 

They  lay  in  this  position  until  day  began  to 
break  in  the  eastern  horizon.  Col.  Jackman 
then  ordered  the  men  into  hne.  They  mounted 
their  horses  and  marched  down  the  road  until 
they  were  within  a  half  mile  of  town ;  then  filing 
to  the  left,  to  the  timber  or  wooded  ridge,  they 
dismounted,  leaving  the  unarmed  men  to  take 
care  of  the  horses,  and  detailing  a  squad  of  65 
men,  armed,  to  guard  them.  The  remainder  of 
the  force  was  ordered  into  line  and  led  by  Col. 
Jackman  down  the  Lone  Jack  road,  to  within 
300  yards  of  the  town,  to  a  steam  mill.  By  this 
time  daylight  was  fast  making  its  appearance. 
Col.  Cockrell  was  to  conunand  the  entire  held, 
while  Jackman,  Tracey  and  Hunter  were  to  lead 
the  men  into  action.  Tracey  was  to  attack  the 
enemy  on  the  East,  and  Jackman  upon  the 


COLE  YOUNGER.  Ill 

West,  Col.  Hunter  acting  with  Jackman.  Col. 
Cotfee  had  not  yet  come  up  with  his  command. 
Cockrell  advanced  to  within  a  few  yards  of  the 
enemy  to  ascertain  their  position,  and  soon  re- 
turned with  the  information  that  the  enemy 
was  still  asleep  and  occupied  the  town,  with  but 
one  set  of  pickets  out,  on  the  Lexington  road, 
about  a  quarter  of  a  mile  from  town.  It  was 
determined  to  attack  the  enemy  at  the  earliest 
moment. 

Col.  Cockrell  directed  Col.  Tracey  to  cross 
the  Lexington  road  north  of  the  Federal  pickets, 
and  at  a  certain  given  signal  to  attack  them 
with  vigor  on  the  east  of  town.  This  signal  was 
the  firing  upon  the  pickets  on  the  Lexington 
road.  The  town  stretches  away  to  the  south 
and  north  with  one  main  street,  60  or  100  feet 
in  Avidth.  The  business  houses  and  dwellings 
were  strung  along  on  both  sides  of  the  street, 
some  two  or  three  hundred  yards.  Upon  the 
east  and  west  of  the  town  were  cornfields,  which 
lay  just  in  the  rear  of  the  buildings,  with  the 
exception  of  here  and  there  an  idle  field,  then 
in  grass  sevrral  feet  high.  The  steam  mill  was 
situated  in  p,  ravine  or  hollow,  and  near  by  was 
a  beautiful  '^Tesh  water  spring.  The  ravine  took 
its  rise  directly  south  of  the  mill,  some  three 
hundred  y  "^rds,  in  the  field  west  of  town.     Jack- 


112  COLE  YOUNGEE. 

man  ordered  his  men  to  open  the  fence  in  the 
ravine,  and* then  marched  his  command  of  five 
hundred  men  directly  up  this  ravine  until  he 
came  in  front  of  the  town.  Here  he  halted  and 
formed  in  line  of  battle.  They  wei-enow  about 
250  yards  west  of  town.  The  lowness  of  the 
ground  upon  which  the  line  was  formed,  and 
the  tall,  rank  weeds  upon  the  rising  ground  in 
front,  entirely  hid  the  command  from  the  enemy, 
even  if  they  had  been  up  in  camp,  but  the  still- 
ness of  their  camp  plainly  told  they  were  yet 
asleep,  and  perhaps  dreaming  of  home  and  the 
dear  ones  left  behind,  all  of  which  they  were 
doomed  never  more  to  see  on  earth.  They  were 
now  in  battle  array,  ready  for  the  conflict  which 
was  about  to  ensue.  Jackman's  men  were  in 
the  height  of  enjoyment,  and  jokes  were  freely 
passed  up  and  down  the  line.  They  soon 
learned  that  all  w^as  right,  and  they  were  ready 
and  eager  for  the  word  or  orders  to  be  given  to 
move  upon  the  enemy. 

Jackman  walked  up  and  down  the  line,  tell- 
ing the  men  as  soon  as  the  firing  commenced 
on  the  Lexington  road,  north  of  town,  he  wanted 
the  entire  hne  to  move  forward,  no  man  to 
break  ranks,  and  to  move  forward  in  silence, 
without  a  cheer  from  any  one.  Tracey  was 
moving  around  upon  the  east,  and  the  detail, 


^UH/u:    VOUNGER.  118 

which  had  heeii  sent  to  lire  on  the  pickets,  liad 
not  yet  heen  carried  out.  It  ^Yas  thought  that 
the  attention  of  the  Federals  would  he  drawn 
in  that  direction,  expecting  an  attack  from  that 
quarter,  wliile  Jackinan  would  attack  them  on 
the  left  and  rear,  and  Tracey  attack  them  upon 
the  right.  An  attack  thus  made,  with  vigor 
and  resolution,  was  expected  to  crown  the  Con- 
federate arms  witli  victory  in  a  short  time. 
But  there  was  too  rnucli  delay  in  attacking  the 
enemy's  outpost. 

The  sun  was  now  rising  from  heneath  a  cloud- 
less eastern  horizon,  and  pouring  its  golden 
streams  over  the  flowery  prairie,  which  was  so 
thickly  strew^n  with  heautiful  hlossoms  upon 
every  hand,  and  lighting  up  the  entire  land- 
scape with  the  silvery  orh  of  day.  Yet  all  was 
apparently  still  at  the  distant  town,  where  the 
foe  was  slumhering.  Yet  soon,  very  soon,  blood 
w^as  to  flow,  and  some  of  Missouri's  bravest  sons 
w^ere  to  water  the  earth  with  their  blood. 

At  length  the  enemy's  camp  guard  discovered 
Tracey 's  troops  upon  the  east.  Immediately 
thereafter  the  Sergeant  of  the  Guard  was  called. 
They  could  hear  the  call  distinctly.  Very  soon 
the  camp  was  ai'oused  from  slumber,  wath  the 
news  that  Quantreh's  men  were  upon  theml 
This  started  every  man  to  his  feet.  They  com- 
n 


114  COLE   YOUNGER. 

menced  to  move  out  their  "bull-dog"  guns  in 
order  to  fire  upon  Tracey's  men,  when  the  de- 
tail whicli  had  been  sent  to  fire  on  the  pickets 
at  length  opened  fire.  But  they  had  delayed 
too  long.  The  enemy  were  fully  apprised  of 
their  presence.  Jackman  at  once  ordered  his 
men  forward,  telling  them  to  keep  silent  until 
they  reached  the  fence  in  the  rear  of  town. 
But  when  the  line  got  within  about  70  yards  of 
the  fence,  the  men  were  so  eager  for  the  fight 
that  they  raised  a  yell.  This  developed  their 
line,  and  the  enemy  poured  a  galKng  fire  into 
their  ranks.  They  had  intended  to  suprise  the 
enemy,  but  as  matters  now  stood,  their  only  re- 
liance was  on  stubborn  fighting.  Their  artillery 
had  opened  fire  on  Tracey's  command,  and  were 
throwing  shells  at  him  in  rapid  succession ;  but 
they  were  too  close  to  do  much  execution. 

Col.  Tracey  was  struck  upon  the  foot  with  a 
piece  of  shell,  and  was  so  disabled  that  he  had 
to  quit  the  field.  But  his  captains  only  fought 
the  harder.  Tracey's  men  pressed  forward  and 
gained  the  fence  upon  the  east  of  town,  which 
was  made  of  boards,  and  then  they  liad  to  pass 
through  a  perfect  sheet  of  fire  to  gain  the 
hedge,  behind  wliich  the  Federal  troops  were; 
but  there  was  no  sucli  word  as  fail,  and  on 
those  brave  troops  rushed  until  they  had  driven 


i 


COLE    YOUNGER.  117 

the  enemy  from  their  position.  They  then 
took  refuge  in  the  buildings  of  the  town.  As 
the  Rebels  took  po.^session  of  the  west  of  the 
town  they  found  tlu^  enemy  directly  in  front, 
with  their  line  of  battle  formed  in  the  rear  of 
their  horses,  which  were  hitched  to  the  town 
fencing  and  served  to  shelter  them  from  the 
musketry.  But  as  soon  as  fire  was  opened 
Jackman  discovered  that  they  were  massing 
in  the  rear  of  the  horses,  and  he  ordered  his 
men  to  shoot  them  do\vn.  One  round  cleared 
aAvay  the  animal  breastwork.  Most  of  the 
horses  were  shot  dead,  and  those  that  were 
wounded  broke  loose  and  dashed  wildly  through 
the  enemy's  lines,  who  fled  to  the  farm  houses. 
8ome  took  shelter  in  the  out-houses,  while 
others  formed  behind  them. 

This  sheltered  them  from  Jackman 's  fire 
upon  the  west,  but  exposed  them  to  Tracey's 
upon  the  east.  Jackman 's  and  Tracey's  lines 
were  about  one  hundred  yards  apart,  and  the 
enemy  between.  So  the  reader  can  see  that 
the  Confederate  lines  were  so  close  together 
that  the  fire  from  one  could  not  help  but  take 
effect  upon  the  other.  As  the  enemy  Avould 
show  themselves  at  the  doors  and  wdndow^s  of 
the  house,  the  Rebels  kept  up  a  lively  fire.  Now 
and  then  could  be  seen  squads  of  them  rushing 


118  COLE   YOUNGER. 

from  behind  the  buildings,  as  Jackman"s  men 
would  pour  volley  after  volley  into  them,  or 
Tracey's  men,  as  the  case  might  be.  Their  ar- 
tiUery  was  still  playing  upon  the  Confederates, 
consequently  orders  were  given  and  gallantly 
obeyed,  to  a  part  of  Jackm_an's  and  Tracey's 
men,  for  those  gallent  sons  of  Missouri  to 
charge  the  guns.  As  they  rushed  boldly  for- 
ward, they  poured  volley  after  volley  into  the 
gunners,  at  onlj^  a  few  feet  distant.  It  looked 
hke  a  hand-to-hand  fight.  Those  cannoneers 
were  brave  men  indeed;  they  stood  to  their 
guns  until  the  last  moment — all  cut  down  but 
one. 

The  artillery  was  at  length  captured.  The 
battery  was  planted  alongside  of  a  long  wooden 
blacksmith-shop,  where  they  concluded  to 
make  a  stand  and  defend  their  hard  gained 
prize ;  but  the  enemy  could  not  think  of  giving 
up  those  beautiful  guns  without  an  effort  upon 
their  part  to  recapture  them,  consequently 
they  formed  a  company  or  two  in  rear  of  the 
shop,  a  portion  of  their  men  taking  possession 
of  the  shop  and  poured  a  deadly  fire  into  the 
Confederates,  at  a  few  paces,  wdiich  was  hotly 
contested  for  a  few  moments.  Finally,  finding 
resistance  no  longer  prudent,  the  Confederates 
fell  back  to  their  former  position,  and  kept  up 


COLE  YOUNGER.  119 

a  brisk  fire  upon  the  enemy.  Jackman's  men 
had  gone  into  battle  with  only  six  rounds  of 
ammunition.  It  had  now  given  out.  He  had 
sent  a  detail  after  ammunition,  but  it  liad  not 
yet  arrived.  Finally,  Jackman  ordered  his  men 
to  quit  the  field  and  retire  to  the  ordnance  wa- 
gon, where  they  could  draw  ammunition.  On 
arriving  at  the  ordnance  wagon,  we  found  that 
the  ammunition  had  been  served.  The  detail 
was  sitting  upon  a  wagon  mule,  with  the  box 
which  contained  the  cartridges  before  him  upon 
the  animal.  Some  of  the  command,  however, 
never  left  the  field.  They  had  got  into  the 
cartridge  boxes  of  the  dead  enemy,  and  were 
sending  back  to  them  their  ammunition  in  hot 
haste.  It  was  not  long,  however,  until  the 
Confederates  were  supplied  with  ammunition, 
when  they  returned  to  the  battlefield  and  took 
possession  of  their  old  position  and  opened  fire 
upon  their  combatants  at  close  quarters.  The 
hour  looked  critical  for  the  Confederates.  But 
all  seemed  to  believe  that  ^dctory  w^ould  yet 
perch  upon  their  banner.  At  times  it  seemed 
that  the  victory  had  been  won. 

The  enemy  seemed  much  better  prepared 
now  than  at  first.  They  had  secreted  them- 
selves in  every  possible  place  in  the  town,  and 
were  sitting  with  cocked  guns  in  hand  waiting 


120  COLE    YOUNGER. 

for  an  opportunity  to  discharge  them  at  cloF?e 
range.  They  were  upon  the  west  side  of  the 
town,  in  a  hotel,  a  large  two  story  huilding. 
This  building  was  completely  crowded  with 
them,  and  as  Jackman's  men  came  upon  the 
field,  many  of  them  were  cut  down  by  the  en- 
emy's fire  from  the  hotel  building.  Col.  Jack- 
man,  Capt.  Bryant,  Capt.  Bradley  and  three  or 
four  soldiers,  had  come  upon  the  field  and  were 
standing  close  together,  about  forty  paces  from 
the  hotel  building,  when  a  volley  came  from  the 
windows  of  the  second-story  and  cut  all  down 
but  the  Colonel  and  one  other,  five  men  being 
shot  dead,  and  one  slightly  w^ounded.  Col. 
Jackman  stepped  over  the  dead  and  wounded, 
and  looking  toward  the  hotel,  his  very  eyes 
flashing  with  revenge,  and  his  cheeks  lit  up 
with  the  red  glow  which  was  common  with 
him  upon  the  battle-field.  He  seemed 
determined  to  revenge  the  blood  of  the 
slain — those  gallant  Captains  that  had  fallen, 
and  in  calm  but  determined  w^ords,  called 
out  to  his  men  to  set  the  building  on  fire. 
A  dozen  or  more  raised  the  yell  and  made 
for  the  building,  but  several  fell  in  the  attempt 
to  fire  the  hotel.  The  building,  however,  was 
soon  on  fire,  and  very  soon  wrapped  in  the 
flames   of  the  devouring    element.     Many  of 


COLE  YOUNGEE.  121 

their  men  rushed  out  with  cocked  guns  in  their 
hands,  hut  the  Confederates  were  also  ready 
and  shot  them  down  as  they  rushed  out.  Many 
never  Jel't  the  house,  but  were  burned  to  death. 
As  the  bidy  of  the  house  attempted  to  leave 
the  building,  having  been  forced  to  remain  in- 
nide  by  the  soldiers,  as  was  afterwards  learned, 
she  was  shot  down  in  the  street.  The  loss  of 
this  Southern  lady  mortified  the  Confederates, 
but  they  were  not  aware  that  she  was  in  the 
building,  and  the  fatal  shot  was  purely  acci- 
dental. Their  very  hearts  bled  at  the  sight  of 
her  dead  body,  as  many  of  them  had  been  fur- 
nished by  her  with  shelter  and  provisions. 
According  to  the  best  information  obtainable, 
nine  wounded  men  in  the  building  burned  to 
death. 

The  battle  then  raged  with  all  the  horrors  of 
war  from  one  end  of  the  town  to  the  other. 
It  was  plainly  to  be  seen  that  the  forces  of  the 
enemy  were  thinning  out  much  more  so '  than 
the  Confederates,  although  they  had  lost  a 
great  many  brave  soldiers,  though  their  force 
was  a  still  formidable  one.  They  were  to  be 
seen  on  the  tops  of  houses,  behind  chimneys, 
and  took  every  advantage  of  shelter  from  the 
bullets  of  the  Confederates.  Yet  the  Confeder- 
ates would  pick  their  men  off,  and  they  could 


122  COLE   YOUNGEK. 

be  seen  dropping  from  the  tops  of  buildings 
with  a  dull  and  heavy  sound.  At  length  they 
commenced  running  around  in  every  direction, 
endeavoring  to  make  their  escape,  while  i>he 
Confederates  poured  volley  after  volley  into 
them,  and  they  were  cut  down  as  the  grass  be- 
fore the  mower.  The  Confederates  seemed 
resolved  to  make  it  a  lasting  and  decisive  vic- 
tory. The  screams  and  yells  of  the  men  as 
they  came  together,  in  deadly  conflict,  made 
the  very  earth  tremble.  Many  times  they  were 
not  ten  paces  apart.  The  battle  raged  in  this 
terrible  manner  for  three  long  hours.  Finally, 
the  Federals  were  completely  hennned  in  upon 
three  sides.  The  only  outlet  was  upon  the 
south  side  of  town.  At  length  orders  were 
given  to  press  them  at  every  point,  and  the 
Confederates  rushed  upon  them  with  terrible 
fury,  and  for  a  short  time  there  was  a  hand-to- 
hand  fight,  almost  throughout  the  whole  field 
of  battle.  The  screams  of  the  wounded  and 
dying  fell  upon  every  ear.  Tongue  nor  pen 
could  not  portray  the  scenes  of  blood.  The 
smoke  and  blaze  of  powder  brought  to  mind  all 
the  dreadful  realities  of  a  very  hell.  Brave 
men  on  both  sides  had  met  in  battle,  and  there 
Avas  no  disposition  to  give  way  so  long  as  the 
least  hope  of  victory  remained. 


COLE   YOUNGER.  12-] 

Tlie  Federals  at  length  became  satisfied  tliere 
waj^  no  longer  any  use  to  contend  for  victory, 
their  comrades  having  stood  u})  bravely  in  the 
fight,  but  were  being  cut  down  like  grass  before 
the  scythe.  At  lengtli  they  commenced  to  re- 
treat through  the  only  avenue  left  them  for 
escape,  which  was  south  of  town.  Here  they 
made  a  short  stand,  solely  with  the  view  of  get- 
ting some  of  their  dead  and  wounded  off  the 
field,  and  w^ere  soon  seen  flying,  panic-stricken, 
making  their  way,  headlong,  for  Lexington,  on 
the  Missouri  river,  with  nearly  one-half  of  their 
original  number  lost,  the  remainder  terribly 
demoralized.  Thus  was  Col.  Foster  honorably 
defeated. 

The  principal  part  of  the  troops  engaged  in 
this  terrible  battle,  on  the  Confederate  side, 
were  from  the  counties  of  Bates,  Vernon  and 
St.  Clair.  St.  Clair  county  lost  in  killed  and 
wounded,  37  men.  The  entire  Confederate  loss 
was  36  killed  dead  on  the  field  of  battle,  and  134 
wounded,  many  of  which  were  mortal.  Two 
months  afterwards  the  Confederate  loss 
amounted  to  72,  includmg  those  who  were 
killed  dead  on  the  field,  and  those  who  died 
from  the  w^ounds  received  in  the  battle.  The 
Federal  loss,  as  reported,  was  136  killed  on  the 
field  of  battle  and  550  wounded,  many  of  whom 


124  COLE   YOUNGER. 

died  afterwards.  Many  of  the  Federal  wounded 
were  carried  of!  the  field  during  the  fight,  and 
sent  to  Lexington.  Col.  Foster  himself  was 
wounded  in  several  places,  and  his  brother, 
Capt.  Foster,  then  acting  Major,  was  mortally 
wounded,  and  died  shortly  after. 

In  a  conversation  with  one  of  Col.  Foster's 
men,  whom  we  met  at  Monegaw  Springs,  in 
the  autumn  of  1869,  he  said  one  regiment,  the 
one  he  was  in,  lost  450  men  in  all,  killed  and 
wounded.  His  regiment  was  never  reorganized 
afterwards.  He  said  he  was  in  Company  C, 
and  their  company  came  out  of  the  fight  with 
only  two  sound  men. 

The  Confederates  carried  those  fine  brass 
guns  to  Arkansas.  All  told,  the  battle  lasted 
about  six  hours.  After  the  battle  the  Confed- 
erates fell  back  two  miles  southwest,  to  cook 
rations,,  procure  forage,  and  care  for  the 
wounded.  It  was  then  about  noon.  They  then 
took  up  their  line  of  march  for  the  Souths  hotl}' 
pressed  by  the  Federals,  who  had,  in  the  mean- 
time, received  new  recruits.  Some  of  the  Con- 
federates had  lost  so  much  sleep  that  they  fell 
from  their  horses  on  the  route  and  were  picked 
up  by  the  enemy,  who,  when  they  learned  the 
condition  of  the  men,  did  not  attempt  to  secure 
them  as  prisoners,  and  the  result  was  that  as 


COLE   YOUNGER.  125 

soon  as  many  of  tliem  liad  secured  sufficient 
rest  and  sleep  to  restore  them  to  tlieir  proper 
minds,  they  rode  oft"  and  made  their  way  to 
their  old  comi'ades  in  Arkansas.  The  Federals 
followed  them  until  the  Arkansas  line  was 
reached. 

Col.  John  T.  Coft'ee  was  accused  of  acting 
cowardly  at  tlie  battle  of  Lone  Jack.  This  is 
an  error.  It  is  true  Col.  Coftee  was  not  in  the 
battle,  but  it  was  unavoidable  on  his  part,  as  he 
was  misled  on  the  night  of  the  15th  of  August 
from  his  camp  on  the  Pleasant  Hill  road,  south 
of  town.  His  aim  was  to  reach  Cockrell's  com- 
mand that  night.  Nearly  all  of  that  country, 
at  that  time,  was  fenced  up,  upon  the  main 
road.  There  were  large  gates  through  which 
travellers  had  to  pass.  Coffee  and  all  of  his 
men  were  unacquainted  in  that  part  of  the 
country,  conseq[uently  they  became  bewildered 
in  the  darkness  of  the  night  and  could  not  find 
the  desired  route.  The  Colonel  finally  suc- 
ceeded in  obtaining  a  guide,  who  proved  to  be 
an  enemy.  After  the  fellow  had  led  Col.  Coftee 
miles  and  miles  in  the  contrary  direction,  about 
two  o'clock  in  the  morning  he  deserted  him, 
leaving  him  in  a  200  acre  cornfield.  Here  he 
was  compelled  to  stay  until  morning.  When 
day  broke  the  Colonel  was  informed  by  a  lady 


126  COLE   YOUNGER. 

that  his  guide  had  led  him  southwest  of  Lone 
Jack,  instead  of  northwest,  where  he  wanted  to 
go,  to   join   Cockrell's  command.     Coffee  was 
now  ten  miles  from  Lone  Jack.     He,  however, 
started  in  that  direction,  hoping  to  hear  some- 
thing of  Col.  Cockrell.     After  marching  within 
six  miles  of  Lone  Jack,  and  hearing  nothing  of 
Cockrell,  he  stopped  to  rest  his  men.     Hearing 
no  report  of  fire  arms,  he  finally  concluded  that 
Cockrell  had  left  that  part  of  the  country.  But 
while  hreakfasting    his  men,   two    men,   who 
seemed  to  be  dispatch  bearers,  came  up.     On 
questioning  them,  Col  Coffee  found  out  they 
belonged  to   Quantrell's   command,   and    had 
been  sent  out  upon  a  scout.     Cofi'ee  asked  them 
if  there  were  any  troops  in  the  direction  of  Lone 
Jack.     Yes,  w^as  the  reply.  Col.   Cockrell  has 
been  fighting  the  Federals  ever  since  sun  up 
this  morning.     Haven't  you  heard  the  artillery  ? 
The  Colonel  replied,  I  have  not.     Coffee  then 
ordered  his  men  to  mount  their  horses.     This 
was   about  ten  o'clock.     Coffee  went    wdthin 
about  a  half  mile  of  the  battle-field,  dismounted 
his  men,  and  hastened  to  the  scene  of  the  con- 
flict.    When  he  arrived  the  enemy  were  flying 
in  every  direction,  the  battle  was  over,  and  the 
brave  enemy  was  defeated. 
After  the  battle  of  Lone  Jack,  Cole  Younger 


COLE    YOUNGER.  127 

and  his  men  disbanded,  temporarily,  well  know- 
ing tliat  the  wliole  Federal  force  within  striking 
distance  would  completeiy  scour  tiie  country. 

ASSASSINATION    OF    HIS   FATHER. 

About  tlie  first  of  September  he  heard  of  the 
murder  of  his  fatlier,  and  at  once  determined 
to  go  and  look  once  more  upon  Iiis  face,  though 
cold  in  death.  Quantrell  tried  to  induce  him 
not  to  go,  telling  him  that  he  certainly  would 
be  killed,  as  there  was  no  doubt  they  were  on 
the  watch  for  him,  expecting  him  to  return 
home.  But  go  he  would,  let  the  consequences 
be  what  they  may,  and  when  Quantrell  saw 
this  w^as  Younger 's  determination,  he  urged 
him  to  take  a  detail  with  him.  But  this  Gole 
thought  to  be  an  unwise  movement,  and  felt 
satisfied  he  could  do  much  better  alone.  The 
death  of  his  father  sorely  grieved  him ;  he  could 
not  rest  easy,  and  a  bitter  feeling  of  revenge 
showed  itself  upon  every  feature  of  his  face, 
and  was  manifest  in  every  utterance  when 
speaking  of  him  to  whom  he  was  greatly  at- 
tached. He  made  the  trip  alone,  looked  upon 
the  remains  of  his  beloved  father,  never  shed- 
ing  a  tear,  and,  placing  his  right  hand  upon  his 
cold  forehead,  without  uttering  a  word,  resolved 
within  his  own  mind  to  revenge  his  death  or 
lose  his  own  life  in  tlie  attempt. 


128  COLE   YOUNGER. 

After  returning  to  camp  he  called  his  men 
together  and  related  to  them  the  circumstances 
of  the  murder  and  robbery  of  his  dear  old 
father,  and  all  for  the  sake  of  a  few  hundred 
dollars,  endeavoring  to  arouse  all  their  bitter 
feelings,  and  asked  them  to  assist  him  in  his 
efforts  to  wreak  vengeance  upon  those  guilty  of 
the  heinous  crime.  After  this  he  was  continu- 
ally on  the  alert  with  twenty  picked  men. 

THE    PLEASANT    HILL    FIGHT. 

On  the  5th  of  October,  1862,  while  roaming 
around,  he  chanced  to  ride  to  Pleasant  Hill, 
and  on  entering  the  town  learned  that  Col. 
Neugent  was  there  with  forty  men.  After  de- 
hberating  a  moment  he  concluded  to  give  him 
battle.  The  war  whoop  was  at  once  raised, 
and  he  dashed  into  towTi  and  among  Neugent's 
men,  scattering  them  in  every  direction,  killing 
and  wounding  many,  while  he  did  not  lose  a 
single  man.  The  town  of  Pleasant  HiU  is  situ- 
ated in  Cass  county,  Missouri. 

ANOTHER   SKIRMISH. 

On  the  10th  of  October,  1862,  Jennison  and 
Anthony,  two  notorious  Kansas  Jayhawkers, 
made  a  raid  into  Jackson  county,  Missouri, 
burning  houses,  stealing  horses  and  almost 
everything  else  of  value  they  could  conven- 


COLE   YOUNGER.  129 

ieutly  carry  off,  and  murdering  indiscrimi- 
nately. They  marched  under  the  black  flag. 
Quantrell  was  on  the  lookout  for  them,  wliile 
Younger  dogged  Jennison  at  every  turn.  At 
length  Jennison  received  large  reinforcements 
and  the  whole  country  w^as  tilled  w^ith  Jay- 
hawkers.  A  general  sortie  was  kept  up  by 
QuantrelFs  men,  and  small  parties  of  the  Jay- 
hawkers  were  frequently  cut  off,  while  their 
pickets  were  engaged  whenever  an  opportunity 
offered.  Jennison  made  a  dash  on  Quantrell 
one  day  in  an  open  field,  Avhen  Quantrell  rode 
over  a  hill  and  watched  an  opportunity  to 
strike  with  telling  effect,  and  when  followed  by 
Jennison,  he  made  a  desperate  charge  on  the 
Federal  forces.  Cole  Younger  led  the  charge, 
while  Quantrell  held  in  reserve  a  force  of  men 
ready  to  assist  or  strike  in  another  direction,  as 
circumstances  should  develope  themselves. 
Younger,  in  leading  the  charge,  held  a  pistol  in 
each  hand  and  guided  his  horse  by  holding  the 
reins  in  his  teeth.  In  making  the  charge  he 
was  several  times  heard  yelling:  "give  them 
hell,  boys. "  His  brave  little  band  nobly  rushed 
to  the  front,  spreading  death  and  destruction 
on  every  side,  which  caused  the  Jayhawkers  to 
flee,  and  fall  back  on  their  reserve  forces. 
When  the  Federals  were  forced    to    retreat, 


130  '     COLE   YOUNGEK. 

Younger  rode  off  to  where  Quantrell  was  and 
they  consulted  as  to  the  best  plan  to  be  pur- 
sued. It  was  finally  determined  that  as  the 
men  and  horses  were  tired  and  Iningry,  to  dis- 
band for  a  few  days,  in  order  to  gain  rest  and 
procure  food  for  both  man  and  beast,  as  both 
had  but  little  of  either  for  several  days.  The 
men  were  then  divided  up  into  small  squads, 
under  faithful  leaders. 

HORSE    STEALING. 

xlbout  this  time  there  seemed  to  be  a  well 
organized  band  of  horse-thieves  roaming 
through  the  country,  and  many  horses  were 
stolen.  Finally,  QuantrellVletermined  to  put  a 
stop  to  it,  and  Cole  Younger  was  detailed  to 
keep  watch  in  Cass  county,  Missouri,  for  the 
purpose  of  capturing  a  band  of  thieves,  while 
Quantrell  watclied  Jackson  county,  Missouri. 
On  the  20th  of  October  Younger  went  to  Aus- 
tin, in  Cass  county,  for  the  purpose  of  captur- 
ing a  band  of  thieves,  which  was  finally  accom- 
plished, and  he  turned  them  over  to  Quan- 
trell, who  dealt  with  them  as  their  crimes  de- 
served. 

qCantrell  goes  south. 

Quantrell,  as  usual  about  this  season  of  the 
year,  went  South,  leaving  Cole  Younger  and 


COLE    YOUNGER.  131 

George  Todd,  each  of  Avlioin  had  a  company  of 
men,  to  act  for  themselves,  but  their  forces 
were  cons()li(hited  and  concert  of  action  had 
wJienever  it  was  deemed  advisable. 

IN    rTM':j'AliED  CAVES. 

(^ole  Younger  then  took  his  men  and  went 
into  camp  on  Cedar  Creek,  in  caves  or  dirt 
houses  prepared  for  that  purpose,  where  he  re- 
mained for  several  weeks,  and  until  a  severe 
snow  storm  visited  that  section  of  the  coun- 
try. This  had  the  tendency  to  very  materially 
interfere  with  his  successfully  eluding  the  pur- 
suit of  the  Federals,  as  his  whereabouts  could 
be  easily  found  out  by  tracks  through  the 
snow,  for  provisions  and  forage  were  short,  and 
he  w^as  compelled  to  send  out  for  both.  When 
they  were  at  length  compelled  to  visit  corn- 
cribs,  &c.,  after  leaving  they  w-ould  get  some 
member  of  the  families  on  whose  premises 
they  w^ent,  to  drive  the  cattle  around,  drag 
over  their  trades  in  the  snow  with  felled  trees, 
and  resort  to  every  possible  strategy  to  cover 
up  the  route  they  had  taken. 

A    SPY   IN    CAMP. 

About  this  time  a  spy  came  into  camp,  who 
claimed  to  have  belonged  to  the  Confederate 
army.    He  told  a  pitiful  and  plausible  story  of 


132  COLE   YOUNGER. 

the  inhuman  treatment  he  had  received  at  the 
hands  of  the  Federals,  by  whom  he  had  been 
taken  prisoner.  His  story  of  wrongs  seemed  to 
impress  itself  upon  Cole  Younger,  and  he  be- 
heved  what  the  fellow  told  him.  Cleorge  Todd, 
by  some  means,  had  receive'l  unfavorable  re- 
ports about  the  man  and  at  once  went  and  told 
Younger  what  he  had  heard,  at  the  same  time 
advising  him  to  either  shoot  him  or  else  turn 
him  out  of  camp.  But  Younger 's  sympathy 
had  become  too  much  enlisted  for  the  stranger, 
and  he  not  only  told  Todd  that  he  should  re- 
main in  camp,  but  also  said  that  he  would  pro- 
tect him.  Upon  investigation  it  was  found 
that  Jobe  McCorkell,  one  of  Y^ounger's  men, 
had  served  with  him  in  the  Confederate  army. 
Younger,  taking  the  statement  of  McCorkell  to 
be  correct,  was  still  further  satisfied  that  the 
man  was  not  a  spy. 

On  the  morning  of  the  lOtli  of  December, 
1862,  Y^ounger's  visitor  reported  to  liini  that  he 
had  received  intelligence  that  his  wife  was 
very  sick,  and  asked  permission  to  visit  her. 
At  first  Y^ounger  hesitated  to  grant  his  lequest, 
but  finally  consented,  telling  him  he  must  not 
be  gone  over  two  hours.  The  stranger  departed, 
but  he  had  scarcely  left  camp  before  a  genera] 
•discussion  arose  among  the  men  as  to  whether 


•     COLE   YOUNGER.  183 

he  was  true  or  false,  many  determining  in  their 
own  minds  that  there  was  something  about 
him  they  did  not  fancy,  and  who  put  it  down  as 
their  firm  behef  that  he  was  a  spy,  sent  there 
for  the  purpose  of  betraying  them.  Some  of 
them  seemed  to  be  so  well  satisfied  in  their 
own  minds  that  the  fellow  was  sent  into  camp 
for  a  purpose,  that  they  offered  to  bet  he  would 
not  return.  At  this  time  the  men  were  busily 
engaged  in  currying  and  feeding  their  horses, 
playing  cards,  &c.  One  of  the  men,  named 
Ohver  Shepherd,  was  currying  his  horse  in  front 
of  the  cave,  and  his  horse  kept  up  such  a  smell- 
ing and  looking  about  that  he  called  Younger 
and  told  him  something  was  wrong.  Younger- 
told  him  that  was  all  imagination,  but  he  in- 
sisted r^nd  said,  "  By  God,  there  is  something 
up,  as  my  mare  keeps  smelhng,  and  I  think 
she  smells  Feds. ' '  Younger  then  remarked  that 
he  supposed  it  was  Todd  coming,  as  he  was 
looking  for  him  to  come  up  about  that  time. 
Shepherd  replied:  I  know  my  mare  too  well 
for  that,  I  know  she  would  not  make  such 
demonstrations  unless  there  were  Federals 
around.  Younger  then  glanced  over  the  ridge, 
and  at  a  short  distance  discovered  a  body  of 
men  approaching  with  an  officer  in  front,  who 
he  at  first  took  to  be  Todd.    Younger  then 


134  COLE  yOUNGEB. 

called  to  him,  Is  that  yon,  Todd  ?  He  received 
no  reply,  and  at  once  ordered  his  men  into  line, 
as  infantry,  they  not  having  time  to  mount 
their  horses.  About  the  time  the  line  was 
formed,  Noah  Webster,  one  of  Younger's  men, 
discovered  a  body  of  men  in  their  rear.  Just 
at  this  moment  the  officer  commanding  those 
who  were  approaching  in  front,  sang  out:  All 
right,  Cole,  we  are  Todd's  men. 

By  this  time  Younger  felt  satisfied  that  they 
were  Federals,  and  at  once  gave  orders  to  his 
men,  ^'  Let  into  them,  boys."  As  the  fire  was 
opened  upon  those  in  front,  the  rear  column 
opened  fire  on  Younger's  men,  killing  three  of 
them.  A  desperate  fire  was  kept  up  on  those 
in  front,  until  at  length  the  Federals  made  a 
bold  and  daring  charge  upon  Younger.  The 
latter,  seeing  he  was  completelj^  surrounded,  and 
knowing  full  well  that  his  visitors  had  entrapped 
him,  at  once  resolved  to  cut  his  w^ay  out  or  die 
in  the  attempt.  Leading  his  men  on  the 
double-quick  down  the  hollow,  he  forced  his 
way  through  the  Federal  column  in  front,  when 
they  closed  up  in  his  rear  and  pursued.  He 
then  made  a  rapid  retreat.  He  had  not  re- 
treated far,  however,  until  he  discovered  that  the 
sleet  upon  the  snow  was  so  slippery  that  a  rapid 
retreat  could  not  be  made,  and  the  men  were 


COLE   YOUNGER.  135 

forced  to  pull  oif  their  boots  and  throw  them 
away.  While  they  were  doing  this,  they  were 
under  a  heavy  lire.  After  a  forward  movement 
w^as  again  commenced,  one  of  the  men  called 
out  to  Younger  that  he  could  not  get  one  boot 
off.  Younger  then  halted  the  men  and  went 
and  pulled  off  the  remaining  boot  himself. 
The  Federals  were  pressing  them  hard,  particu- 
larly the  cavalry.  A  running  light  was  kept 
up  the  balance  of  the  day,  some  four  hours. 
About  sundown  they  struck  the  main  road, 
leading  to  Harrison^dlle,  and  followed  it  some 
distance,  until  they  came  to  another  road  lead- 
ing off'  to  the  right,  which  they  took  and  kept 
until  they  arrived  at  a  bridge,  which  crossed  a 
creek.  Here  they  jumped  from  the  bridge  into 
the  creek,  and  waded  down  the  creek  about  a 
mile,  until  they  came  to  a  stone  fence,  which 
they  mounted  and  followed  for  nearly  a  half 
mile,  hoping  thereby  to  effectually  elude  the 
pursuit  of  the  Federals,  which  they  knew 
would  be  made  the  following  day.  Some  time 
after  dark  they  arrived  at  a  house  which 
proved  to  be  occupied  by  friendly  parties, 
where  they  were  furnished  with  something 
to  eat.  After  supper  and  resting,  the  men 
divided  up  into  pairs  and  scattered  in  every 
direction,   instructions  being  given  them  to 


136  COLE   YOUNGER. 

get  clothing  as  best  they  could,  and  make 
their  way  back  to  Todd's  camp  as  soon  as  pos- 
sible. 

In  a  few  days  all  of  Younger' s  men,  except 
the  three  killed,  found  their  way  back  to  the 
camp  of  Todd,  though  much  fatigued,  and  with 
bruised  and  lacerated  feet.  The  citizens 
throughout  the  country  supplied  them  with 
the  required  clothing,  as  best  they  could.  Dur- 
ing their  retreat,  after  the  Federals  had  ceased 
following  them,  they  chanced  to  discover  an 
old  blind  horse,  which  they  secured  and  rode 
around  through  some  sumac  for  the  purpose  of 
destroying  their  tracks  in  the  snow.  At  another 
time  a  farmer  cut  down  a  tree,  leaving  the 
limbs  on  it,  hitched  a  yoke  of  cattle  to  it  and 
dragged  it  over  the  snow  where  they  had  passed. 
These  little  incidents  are  named  in  order  to 
show  the  precaution  taken  to  prevent  the  Fed- 
erals making  a  successful  pursuit  the  next  morn- 
ing. At  the  time  they  were  attacked  most  of 
their  horses  were  running  around  loose,  and 
when  the  firing  commenced  the  greater  portion 
of  them  made  for  their  homes,  as  nearly  all 
lived  close  to  camp.  The  citizens,  learning 
of  the  affair,  took  some  pains,  as  did  Todd'e 
men  also,  to  gather  them  up.  In  a  short  time 
they  were  all  mounted  again. 


OOLE  YOUNGER.  137 

YOUNGER  GETS  A  BETTER  HORSE. 

Oirthe  20t]i()f  January,  ]H(>^,  Cole  Younger 
and  a  companion  started  to  goliorne,  near  Lee's 
Summit,  wlien  they  met  tliree  Federals  in  the 
road,  two  white  men  and  one  negro.  Younger 
and  liis  partner  not  being  very  well  mounted, 
at  once  conceived  the  idea  that  the  present 
offered  an  excellent  opportunity  to  secure  better 
animals,  and  when  they  got  within  shooting 
distance  of  the  Federals,  opened  fire  on  them, 
wlien  they  broke  and  ran  away.  After  pursu- 
ing them  some  distance  they  came  to  a  house, 
in  front  of  wdiich  was  standing  a  fine  horse, 
with  a  lady's  saddle  on.  Younger  halted  along- 
side the  fence,  dismounted,  threw^  the  reins  of 
liis  horse's  bridle  over  the  post,  unloosed  the 
horse  with  the  lady's  saddle  on,  mounted,  and 
pursued  rapidly  until  he  overtook  the  negro, 
when  he  unhorsed  him  and  appropriated  his 
horse  and  equipments  to  his  ow^n  use.  He  then 
returned  the  horse  wdiich  he  borrowed,  with  a 
lady's  saddle  on,  and  as  he  did  so  he  was  re- 
quested to  wait  a  moment,  wdien  a  Confederate 
flag  w^as  presented  him,  with  the  wish  that  he 
might  carry  it  to  victory  on  every  occasion, 
w^hich  he  promised  to  do.  After  going  home 
and  remaining  a  day  or  tw^o,  he  again  returnerf 
to  camp  and  reorganized  his  men. 


138  COLE   YOUNGER. 

ARREST    OF   THREE    MISS   YOUNGERS. 

About  the  first  of  November,  1862,  the  Fed- 
eral officer  in  command  at  Independence,  ar- 
rested three  of  the  Miss  Yomiger's,  sisters  of 
Cole  Yomiger,  and  placed  them  in  jail,  because, 
as  he  said,  they  had  fed  their  brother  Cole. 
Also  three  or  four  of  Younger's  cousins,  fe- 
males, were  arrested  and  kept  prisoners  at 
Kansas  City,  and  were  in  the  building  which 
was  undermined  and  fell  down,  killing  eight 
out  of  the  nine  ladies,  prisoners  at  the  time. 
This  was  one  of  the  most  disgraceful  and  bru- 
tal outrages  committed  during  the  war.  They 
did  not  have  the  courage  to  openly  execute 
these  ladies,  but  arrested  and  placed  them  in 
tlie  building,  which  was  Ibuilt  of  brick,  and 
tlien  secretly  undermined  it  so  that  it  would 
fall  and  so  mangle  them  as  to  cause  their  death. 
If  we  mistake  not,  but  one  was  killed  instantly, 
all  the  rest  having  been  bruised  and  mangled 
in  a  horrible  manner,  and  suffering  for  some 
time  in  the  greatest  agony  before  death  came 
to  their  relief.  This  took  place  in  the  winter 
of  1862-68. 

TRAP    SET    TO    CAPTURE    YOUNGER. 

Some  time  in  February,  1863,  Capt.  David- 
son,  stationed    at  Harrisonville,  sent  word  to 


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COLE  YOUNGEK.  141 

Mrs.  Younger  to  come  down  and  see  him,  but  not 
being  able  to  go,  on  account  of  sickness,  she 
sent  him  word  to  that  effect  and  requested  him 
to  come  out  to  the  farm  and  see  her,  which  he 
did.  While  there  he  promised  her  that  if  she 
would  see  Cole  and  get  him  to  go  South,  he 
would  give  them  both  a  free  pass.  This  she 
promised  to  do,  as  soon  as  she  could  send  him 
word.  After  this  Davidson  kept  a  close  watch 
on  her  house,  hoping  to  capture  Cole,  thinking 
he  would  come  home  to  see  his  mother. 
At  length  word  was  sent  him,  Davidson,  that 
Younger  was  at  home,  when  that  same  night 
the 

HOUSE  WAS  SUKROUNDED  BY  100  MEN, 

determined  to  capture  him,  dead  or  alive.  Cole 
rode  near  the  house  and  then  dismounted  and 
hitched  his  house  in  the  orchard,  after  which 
he  cautiously  approached  the  house,  in  order 
to  ascertain  if  any  soldiers  were  about.  After 
entering  he  got  Sue,  a  faithful  old  negro  ser- 
vant, to  stand  guard  outside,  also  one  of  his  sis- 
t^  '  the  night  being  very  dark  and  cold,  he 

.  ^"ba^rii:....  d  to  risk  it  without  punishing  his 
jister  mil    old  Aunty,  and,  as  he  said,  "  would 

ather  fighi  the  Federals  than  punish  them." 
-iiter  all  were  ■!  the  house  a  short  time,  a  noise 

' -:  bearol  outs^ ■' .   but  it  was  concluded  that  it 


142  COLE   YOUNGER. 

was  the  sheep  out  in  the  lot.     Cole  was  busily 
engaged  talking  to  his  mother,  when  a  knock 
was  heard  at  the  door.     Quick  as  thought  old 
Aunty  threw  a  bed  quilt  over  her,  Cole  blew 
out  the  light,  and  slipped  up  behind  the  old 
negro,  under  the  quilt.     She  then  went  to  the 
door  and  opened  it,  when  there  stood  a  squad 
of  soldiers,   with  guns   cocked   and    ready  to 
shoot.     The   old  negro  said  to  them,  "Don't 
shoot;  it's  me;  nothin'  but  a  poor  old  nigger." 
In  a  moment  the  guns  were  dropped,  and  after 
some  little  conversation   she  told  them  that  if 
they  "wasgwine  to  kill  the  white  folks  she 
would  git  out,"  and  at  once  passed  out  towards 
the  barn.     The  night  was  very  dark,  and  the 
Federals  did  not  think  of  or  discover  the  trick 
of  Younger  to  make  his  escape.     After  getting 
some  distance  from  the  house,  Cole  dodged  out 
from  his  hiding  place  and  at  once  made  tracks 
for  a  more  congenial  clime.     The  old  darkey 
was  so  much  rejoiced  at  seeing  her  young  mas- 
ter thus  narrowly  escape  death  by  and  tln'ough 
her  strategy,  that  she  coukl  not  help  but  yell 
out,  "Kun,  MassaCole,  for  (rod's  sake,''  which 
at  once  attracted  the  attention  of  the  soldiers 
in  the  rear,  who  fired  on  hitn.     Had  it  not  been 
for  this  httle  imprudence  of  tlie  old  negro,  the 
Federals  would  not  have  discovered  him  mak- 


COLE  YOUNGER.  143 

ing  his  escape.  Quite  a  number  of  shots  were 
tired  at  him,  but  without  effect,  nevertheless 
they  went  into  the  house  and  reported  him 
dead,  and  requested  a  hght,  accompanied  by 
the  family,  to  go  and  bring  him  in.  Diligent 
search  was  made  in  the.  vicinity  where  he  was 
supposed  to  be,  but  his  body  could  not  be 
found.  After  remaining  but  a  short  time,  ap- 
parently, they  all  went  off,^but  still  kept  watch 
at  a  respectful  distance,  thinking  he  would  re- 
turn to  the  house,  if  not  too  badly  wounded. 
x\U  this  time  he  was  sitting  some  distance  off, 
watching  their  movements,  and  eager  to  "  get 
some  of  them."  Before  retiring  to  bed  the  old 
negro  procured  a  bottle  of  water,  mixed  with 
some  w^hiskey,  camphor,  &c.,  and  then  took  a 
light  and  w^ent  out  to  hunt  for  her  yonng 
Massa,  Cole,  intending,  if  she  should  see  him, 
to  pass  by  liim  and  drop  the  bottle,  w^ell  know- 
ing that  he  would  need  water  if  he  was 
w^ounded.  She  also  thought  that  if  she  should 
get  close  to  him  he  w^ould  call  her.  Although 
the  Federals  had  departed,  apparently,  she 
found  that  they  were  still  loitering  around. 
The  old  servant  was  true  and  faithful,  and 
would  risk  her  own  life  to  save  that  of  any  of 
the  members  of  the  family,  but  ahvays  felt  cer- 
tain that  none  of  the  Federals  would  harm  her. 


144  ^  COLE   YOUNGER. 

Cole  did  not  go  near  enough  to  the  house  to 
see  if  they  had  discovered  his  horse,  as  he  sup- 
posed they  would  search  the  premises  until 
they  found  him.  They  did  not  get  his  horse, 
however,  although  dilligent  search  was  made. 
The  next  morning  the  old  negro  w^oman  took 
the  horse  some  distance  in  the  direction  of  the 
camp,  putting  it  in  a  safe  place  where  she  knew 
it  would  be  sent  t.o  Massa  Cole.  He  arrived 
safely  in  camp. 

A  LIVELY  BEUSH. 

On  the  10th  of  March,  1863,  Cole  Younger 
and  his  men,  about  40  in  number,  went  to  the 
blacksmith  shop  of  Mr.  Hopkins,  near  Blue 
Springs,  Jasper  county,  Missouri,  for  the  pur- 
pose of  having  their  horses  shod,  as  spring  was 
about  opening,  and  they  were  preparing  for 
more  active  operations.  The  precautionary 
step  of  placing  out  pickets  was  taken,  and  after 
remaming  there  some  time  the  pickets  returned 
with  the  news  that  the  Federals  were  coming. 
Younger  at  once  formed  his  men  in  the  brush, 
for  the  purpose  of  ''  giving  them  a  round  or 
two,"  and  after  the  lapse  of  a  few  minutes  the 
Federals  came  in  sight,  the  commanding  officer, 
Capt.  Johnson,  some  distance  in  front.  He  had 
about  80  men.     The  arrangement  was  that  no 


CuLE    YOUNGER.  I  10 

shots  were  to  be  fired  until  all  were  witliiii  clt  >se 
range,  but  one  of  Younger 's  men,  when  Capt. 
Johnson  rode  up  withm  range,  could  not  resist 
the  temptation  of  ' '  letting  him  have  it."  J ohn- 
son  cried  out :  "  Don't  shoot,  we  are  Federals," 
thinking  those  whom  he  saw^  were  militia 
Several  shots  were  tired  at  Capt.  Johnson  with- 
out effect.  At  length,  seeing  that  his  warning 
words  to  "friends"  were  not  heeded,  he,  doubt- 
less, concluded  that  he  had  fallen  among  ene- 
mies, and  at  once  wheeled  his  horse  and  made 
a  hasty  retreat  to  the  rear.  Younger,  seeing 
this  movement,  at  once  charged  on  behind, 
which  caused  the  Federals  to  break  and  run  in 
every  direction.  Capt.  Johnson  fired  several 
shots  on  his  retreat,  which  were  the  only  ones 
fired,  not  a  single  other  man  of  his  company 
discharging  a  gun.  Capt.  Johnson  tried  to 
rally  his  men  several  times,  but  all  to  no  pur- 
pose. They  were  pursued  about  one  mile  and  a 
half,  through  the  timber,  and  finally  rushed 
into  a  deep  ravine  which  led  to  the  creek. 
Younger's  men  kept  up  a  lively  fire  on  them 
the  whole  time,  and  forced  them  down  the 
ditch  until  tliey  reached  the  back  water^  when 
they  were  compelled  to  swim  the  creek.  Near 
one-half  of  their  number  was  killed.  After 
those  who  escaped  uninjured  succeeded  in  get- 
J 


14(.  COLE    YOUNGER. 

ting  DYer  tlie  creek,  oiit  of  danger,  Younger 
and  his  men  went  over  the  battle-field  to  gather 
lip  such  arms,  etc.,  as  they  deemed  of  service, 
and  take  care  of  those  who  were  still  alive. 
Finallj^  a  whistle  was  heard,  which  clearly  in- 
dicated that  it  was  intended  as  a  call,  and  which 
was  immediately  answered.  At  length  a  sanc- 
timonious looking  individual  made  his  appear- 
ance and  said,  "I  thought  you  were  all  killed." 
Younger  at  once  perceived  that  he  had  mis- 
taken them  for  Federals,  and  drawing  his  revol- 
ver, told  him  to  surrender.  He  at  once 
wheeled  his  horse  and  rode  rapidly  away. 
Younger  and  one  of  his  men  fired  at  him,  both 
shots  taking  effect,  and  he  fell  to  the  ground  a 
lifeless  corpse.  An  examination  of  his  wounds, 
proved  that  one  shot  broke  his  neck  and  the 
other  entered  the  head.  Either  was  fatal.  On 
searching  the  body  a  small  Bible  and  hymn- 
book  were  found,  when  it  was  at  once  conjec- 
tured that  he  was  a  minister.  It  was  afterwards 
ascertained  that  he  was  the  identical  individual 
who  was  travelling  around  with  Johnson,  going 
to  houses  to  eat  and  sleep,  and  when  he  was 
about  to  leave  would  offer  up  prayers,  after 
which  he  would  ask  pay  for  the  same,  and  if  it 
was  not  forthcoming  immediately,  would  appro- 
priate such  articles  he  could  find  to  his  own  use 


(V)LE    VOUXGER.  14  j 

as  he  desired.  Tin's  would-bo  Reverend  (?) 
gentleman  had  gained  considerable  notoriety 
in  that  section  of  country  for  these  "little 
peculiarities,"  and  when  it  become  known  that 
he  "hf^l  handed  in  his  checks,"  there  Avas  con- 
siderable rejoicing.  Evidently  he  had  "  put  on 
the  livery  of  Heaven  to  serve  the  Devil  in." 

FIGHT  WITH  A  DUTCH  COMPANY. 

On  the  15th  of  May,  1863,  Cole  Younger  w^ent 
down  to  Lafayette  county.  Mo.,  to  see  his 
mother,  taking  wdth  him  a  few  of  his  men.  As 
they  passed  down  the  road  they  w^ere  bush- 
whacked and  made  a  narrow  escape,  for,  if  it  had 
been  properly  managed,  not  one  of  them  w^ould 
have  escaped  death  or  capture.  After  this 
occurrence  Younger  determined  to  try  this 
same  little  game  upon  those  wdio  perpetrated 
it  upon  him.  It  w^as  not  long  until  he  ascer- 
tained who  it  was  that  perpetrated  the  "  joke," 
and  at  once  laid  his  plans  to  "  turn  the  tables 
on  them."  While  in  Lafayette  county.  Youn- 
ger was  reinforced  by  Capt.  Pool,  with  about 
20  men.  When  he  was  ready  to  leave.  Younger 
sent  a  man  in  advance  to  inform  the  Dutch 
officer  that  he  w^as  coming,  telling  him  wdiat 
road  to  w^atch,  and  to  make  a  certain  point  by 
a  certain  time  and  by  this  means  completely 


148  COLE   YOUNGEK. 

trap  them.  The  whole  plan  worked  hke  a 
charm ;  the  Dutch  officer  seemed  eager  to  do 
up  the  Uttle  job,  promising  that  not  one  should 
escape  this  time,  etc.  Younger  was  not  dis- 
appointed in  his  expectations,  and  was  o^  hand 
in  time,  ready  and  willing,  with  outstretched 
arms,  to  receive  his  dear  Dutch  friends.  By 
the  time  appointed  along  came  the  valiant 
Dutch  company,  the  chief  officer  in  the  lead, 
with  considerable  show  and  bravado.  When 
they  had  passed  just  far  enough  into  the  trap, 
Younger  let  into  them,  and  of  all  the  surprised 
and  terror-stricken  men  ever  seen,  they  were 
the  worst.  They  ran  in  every  direction,  closely 
followed  by  Younger 's  men,  who  poured  volley 
after  volley  into  them.  About  one-half  made 
their  escape,  the  remainder  having  been  killed. 
The  account  of  the  fight,  as  given  by  the  Dutch 
who  made  their  escape,  was  the  most  terrible 
ever  related.  They  seemed  to  have  magnified 
about  40  men  into  4,000,  and  it  was  impossible 
to  make  any  of  them  beheve  that  they  were 
attacked  by  less  than  4,000  men. 

QUANTRELL  RETURNS. 

The  reader  will  recollect  that  we  previously 
mentioned  the  fact  that  Quantrell  w^ent  South, 
leaving  Cole  Younger  and  Todd,  each  of  whom 


COLE   YOUNGER.  149 

had  a  company  of  men,  to  act  for  themselves, 
but  m  connection  with  each  other,  whenever 
circumstances  should  require  it.  Same  time 
during  the  latter  part  of  May,  however,  Quan- 
trell  returned  to  his  old  stamping  ground,  and 
at  once  commenced  to  reorganize  his  men  and 
make  preparations  for  active  operations. 

THE  LAWRENCE,  KANSAS,  RAID. 

We  now  come  to  the  famous  raid  made  on 
Lawrence,  Kansas,  by  Quantrell  and  his  band. 
This  notable  and  memorable  occurrence  is  yet 
familiar  to  thousands  throughout  the  country 
who  were  old  enough  at  the  time  to  recollect 
it.  It  was  heralded  all  over  the  country  at  the 
time,  as  the  most  blood-thirsty,  daring  and  suc- 
cessful raid  ever  made.  The  whole  thing  was 
admirably  planned  and  well  executed,  and 
scarcely  anything  occurred  to  interrupt  the 
plans  of  the  men  who  conceived  this  master 
stroke  of  retaliation  and  revenge,  for  such  it 
was. 

Jim  Lane  and  his  band  of  Kansas  Ked  Legs 
had  burned  and  sacked  the  town  of  Osceola, 
8t.  Clair  county,  Missouri,  one  of  the  most 
thriving  and  flourishing  towns  in  Southwest 
Missouri,  situated  on  the  Osage  river,  murder- 
ing many  citizens,  and  Quantrell  conceived  the 


150  COLE   YOUNGER 

idea  of  retaliation  for  this  and  other  outrages 
committed  by  the  Jayhawkers,  and  conse- 
quently selected  the  home  of  Lane,  quite  a 
thriving  town  in  Kansas,  as  the  best  suited  for 
that  purpose,  hoping  also  to  capture  and  kill 
him,  in  retaliation  for  those  murdered  at  Os- 
ceola, and  elsewhere,  and  in  this  outdone  even 
Lane  himself.  It  Avas  not  the  Soutii  striking 
against  the  North,  not  a  deed  done  in  defense 
of  a  country's  right,  or  in  retaliation  for  her 
wrongs,  but  in  revenge  for  the  wrongs  com- 
mitted by  one  man,  armed  and  protected  in  the 
knowledge  of  his  powder,  against  a  mere  hand- 
ful of  men,  totally  incapable  of  successful  re- 
sistance. But,  desperate  character  as  Quan- 
trell  was,  he  gave  orders  to  his  men  on  enter- 
ing Lawrence,  to  "Spare  the  women  and  chil- 
dren." He  still  possessed  enough  of  human 
feeling  to  have  compassion  on  youth  and 
beauty.  On  that  bright  morning  tbe  birds, 
though  disturbed  by  the  noisy  tramp  of  the 
many  horses'  hoofs,  strange  to  say,  sang  just  as 
sweetly  as  though  nothing  terrible  was  going 
on.  The  place  was  wrapped  in  slumber  when 
Quantrell  and  his  men  entered.  Defence  was 
useless,  and,  as  if  by  common  consent,  the 
town  was  left  to  its  fate,  and  all  attempted  to 
escape  to  the  ravine  running  along  the  western 


COLK   YOUNGER.  151 

side.  But  few  reached  it,  and  those  few  were 
hunted  from  one  spot  to  another,  hah  clothed 
and  unarmed. 

It  was  the  morning  of  the  7th  of  Septem- 
ber, 1863,  that  Quantrell  made  this  memorable 
dash  into  Lawrence.  But  a  short  time  previ- 
ous he  had  returned  from  the  South.  As  soon 
as  he  reached  his  old  haunts  he  commenced  to 
collect  his  men  together  and  prepare  for  this 
raid.  His  force  numbered  about  200  men. 
They  were  divided  into  companies,  and  placed 
under  the  command  of  Cole  Younger,  Pool, 
Todd  and  Quantrell  himself,  the  whole  subject 
to  the  guidance  and  control  of  the  latter. 

The  force  was  concentrated  on  Cedar  Creek, 
in  Jackson  county,  Missouri.  From  Cedar 
Creek  they  marched  to  Grand  River,  in  Cass 
county,  Missouri,  and  from  there  they  went  to 
LawTence,  Kansas,  arriving  about  daylight. 
A  charge  was  at  once  made  upon  the  town, 
and  every  Jay  hawker  they  caught,  as  well  as 
many  citizens,  were  killed.  The  main  body  of 
the  troops  quartered  there  were  camped  on  the 
opposite  side  of  the  Kansas  Eiver.  Quantrell, 
on  his  arrival  in  town,  at  once  placed  a  force  at. 
the  ferry  to  prevent  their  crossing,  until  such 
time  as  he  was  ready  to  leave.  The  massacre 
and  destruction  of  property  continued  nearly 


152  COLE   YOUNGER. 

all  day.  The  mournful  cry  of  the  widows,  the 
groans  of  the  wounded  and  dying,  the  roar  of 
the  flames  as  they  lapped  from  building  to 
building,  all  united  in  making  up  one  horrible 
scene,  in  whicli  the  Guerrilla  chief  and  his  men 
seemed  to  glory.  All  of  the  Guerrillas,  save 
one,  left  the  town  unharmed,  and  he,  more 
unlucky  than  his  companions,  was  left  behind, 
the  victim  of  his  intended  victims.  His  body 
was  left  sissing  and  burning  by  the  side  of  the 
very  building  that  he  fired,  and  those  who  now 
reside  in  Lawrence  and  were  there  at  the  time, 
well  remember  with  feelings  of  pleasure  and 
revenge,  that  the  remaining  citizens  hung  the 
body  of  this  one  Guerrilla  up  as  a  pleasing  me- 
mento. 

The  murders,  destruction  of  property,  and 
outrages  committed  generally,  by  Quantrell 
and  his  men,  were  bad  enough  when  the  truth 
is  told,  yet  we  learn  from  those  who 
were  there  at  the  time,  that  the  facts  were 
largely  magnified  by  the  newspaper  accoimts 
gotten  up  immediately  thereafter.  It  has  been 
asserted  that  women  and  children  were  mur- 
dered, but  such  was  not  the  case,  save  by  acci- 
dent. Men  were  murdered,  without  regard  to 
age.  The  destruction  of  property  on  this  oc- 
casion was  considerable.     But  little  was  carried 


COLE  YOUNGER.  153 

off,  except  clothing  and  sucli  articles  as  the 
men  required  for  use. 

Of  all  the  men  whom  Quantrell  most  desired 
to  capture  and  execute,  Jim  Lane  was  the  man. 
It  is  asserted  that  he  succeeded  in  making  his  es- 
cape into  a  cornfield,  unobserved,  where  he  kept 
hid  until  after  all  danger  was  over.  One  story 
is  that  he  went  down  into  a  \vell,  but  we  are  in- 
clined to  the  opinion  that  he  made  his  escape 
into  a  cornfield,  as  above  given.  Some  of  the 
friends  of  Quantrell  assert  that  if  Lane  had 
been  captured  shortly  after  entering  town,  the 
destruction  of  life  and  property  would  have 
been  much  less  than  it  was.  There  may  be 
some  truth  in  this  version  of  the  affair,  but  the 
pubhc  will  be  inclined  to  doubt  it.  It  is  evi- 
dent that  Quantrell  went  to  LawTence  de- 
termined on  death  and  the  destruction  of  prop-, 
erty,  and  he  succeeded  admirably  in  his  pur- 
poses. 

Late  in  the  afternoon  the  Guerrillas  of  Quan- 
trell who  were  placed  at  the  ferry  to  prevent 
the  Federal  forces  from  crossing  over  to  Law- 
rence, were  withdrawn,  and  all  took  up  their 
line  of  march  for  Missouri.  As  soon  as  the 
raid  was  made  on  LawTence,  all  the  Federal 
and  Kansas  State  troops  wdthin  striking  dis- 
tance were  notified  of  the  fact  and  ordered  to 


154  COLE   YOUNGER. 

pursue  Quantrell  on  his  retreat,  and  by  the 
time  he  was  ready  to  move  several  thousand 
troops  were  on  his  trail,  and  nothing  but  the 
mere  mention  of  the  name  of  Quantrell,  which 
was  always  a  terror  to  the  Jayhawkers,  saved 
him  and  his  men  from  total  destruction.  It 
was  estimated  that  before  he  left  the  State  of 
Kansas,  seven  thousand  Federal  soldiers  and 
Kansas  militia  were  in  pursuit  of  him,  who 
were  distributed  all  over  the  route  Quantrell 
had  to  traA  el. 

Cole  Younger  Avas  placed  in  the  rear  on  the 
retreat,  with  his  command,  and,  as  may  be 
imagined,  he  had  hot  work  of  it,  for  the  main 
body  of  the  Federals  crossed  the  river  as  Tsoon 
as  Quantrell' s  men  left,  and,  being  joined  by 
others,  at  once  commenced  pursuit.  The  worn 
out  condition  of  both  the  men  and  horses  be- 
longing to  Quantrell's  command,  rendered  them 
totally  unfit  for  hard  service,  but  the  rear  re- 
liefs were  frequent,  as  it  was  almost  one  con- 
tinued series  of  fighting. 

John  Jarrett,  with  his  command,  was  the 
first  to  relieve  Cole  Younger,  who  then  took  the 
lead.  Dave  Pool  relieved  Jarrett,  but  he  was 
so  hard  pressed — by  this  time  large  Federal 
reinforcements  had  arrived — that  he  was  com- 
pelled to  give  way  and  his  men  become  badly 


COLE   YOUNGEK.  1)') 

demoralized.  Seeing  this,  Younger  and  Todd 
both  went  to  the  rear,  and  finally  succeeded  in 
checking  the  Federal  advance.  By  this  time 
Quantrell,  with  the  main  body  of  his  men,  had 
succeeded  in  getting  far  in  the  advance.  The 
rear  forces  were  then  rapidly  withdrawn. 

At  times  the  retreating  forces  of  Quantrell 
were  almost  entirely  surrounded — the  Federals 
were  hke  a  swarm  of  bees.  Several  times  he 
was  attacked  in  the  front  and  rear,  and  on  the 
right  and  left.  It  was  indeed  a  most  miracu- 
lous escape.  At  times  Quantrell  almost  gave 
up  the  idea  of  ever  being  able  to  get  through 
safely  with  many  of  his  men.  Almost  a  con- 
tinuous fight  was  kept  irp  until  they  reached 
Grand  River,  in  Cass  county,  Missouri,  at 
which  point  Quantrell  ordered  his  men  to 
scatter  in  small  squads,  and  this,  together  with 
the  darkness  of  the  night,  caused  the  Federal 
forces  to  halt,  when  Quantrell  made  good  his 
escape.  In  this  raid  Quantrell  lost  but  few 
men.  No  fight  or  raid  of  importance  again 
occurred  for  some  time,  although  many  skirm- 
ishes followed. 

REV.    DR.    fisher's    EXPERIENCE. 

The  following  is  from  the  Cincinnati  Gazette, 
which  was  related  by  the  Doctor  himseH,  re- 


156  COLE   YOUNGER. 

cently,  at  a  Methodist  Preacher's  meeting  in 
Cincinnati.  The  Kev.  Dr.  was  one  of  Jim 
Lane's  Chaplains  during  the  war.  The  story, 
as  related  by  him,  is  as  follows : 

"1  was  always  an  anti-slavery  man  of  the  most  '  anti' 
kind,  and  after  I  moved  to  Kansas,  without  any  promi- 
nence having  been  given  to  my  sentiments  by  myself,  I 
found  myself  the  object  of  the  most  vindicative  hatred 
of  the  pro-slavery  party  of  the  region  where  I  resided. 
My  life  was  unsuccessful W  sought  several  times.  When 
the  war  broke  out  I  went  as  a  Chaplain.  Most  of  the 
male  members  of  my  church  went  to  the  war,  and  I  went 
as  one  of  Jim  Lane's  chaplains. 

"  The  news  of  m\^  connection  with  the  army,  and  of 
my  being  put  in  charge  of  contrabands,  who  were  sent 
to  Kansas,  got  abroad,  and  the  rebels  hated  me  worse 
than  ever.  They  got  my  photograph  and  distributed  it 
throughout  the  country,  and  it  was  fixed  among  them 
that  I  was  to  be  shot  whenever  met.  Once  when  I  was 
sent  up  the  river  with  a  body  of  contrabands,  not  being 
well,  I  went  home  for  a  little  rest.  I  was  living  at  Law- 
rence. The  town  had  a  few  guns  in  the  armor}',  and 
there  was  an  understanding  with  the  farmers  of  the  sur- 
rounding country  that  upon  the  ringing  of  an  alarm,  they 
should  come  in  and  defend  the  town,  but  the  coming  of 
Quantrell  and  his  men  was  a  complete  surprise.  When 
the  alarm  was  rung  the  arsenal  was  already  captured  and 
on  fire.  I  was  in  bed,  and  heard,  about  3  o'clock  in  the 
morning,  horses  galloping  very  rapidly  away,  and  woke 
ray  wife,   teUing  her  that  it   was  singular   that  horses 


COLE    YOUNGER.  15/ 

shoald  be  galloping  so  fast  so  early  in  the  moruing  ;  but 
8'he  said  she  guessed  it  was  some  farmers  whj  had  been 
to  a  railroad  meeting  the  evening  before,  and  were  hurry- 
ing back  to  their  work.  We  lay  and  talked  for  somo 
time.  The  children  were  going  out  that  morning  to  get 
some  grapes,  and  my  wife  thought  she  would  call  them 
earlier  than  usual,  and  herein,  brethren,  I  see  the  hand 
of  Providence.  It  was  not  yet  daylight,  but  day  was 
dawning.  Having  called  the  children,  she  went  and 
looked  out  of  the  front  door,  and  instantly  called  me  : 
'  Pa,  the  Rebels  are  in  town.'  I  said  that  could  not  be  : 
but,  nevertheless,  I  sprang  from  the  bed  and  ran  to  the 
door. 

"There  they  were  just  across  the  green,  and  just  then 
they  shot  the  United  Brethren  preacher,  as  he  was  milk- 
ing his  cow  in  his  barn-yard.  I  rushed  back  into  the 
house;  my  wife  caught  up  her  babe;  I  have  four  boys, 
one  was  on  my  wife's  breast,  another  was  by  her  side- 
and  the  two  oldest  were  twelve  and  fourteen  years  old. 
We  all  rushed  up  the  lot  in  which  our  house  stood.  Then 
I  left  my  wife,  and  with  the  two  oldest  boys  ran  up  the 
hill,  but  something  seemed  to  tell  me  that  I  was  running 
away  from  safety.  So  I  told  the  boys  to  run  on,  and  I 
would  go  back  to  mother.  It  was  then  in  the  gray  light 
of  morning,  and  the  Rebels  had  divided  into  little  squada 
and  were  ransacking  the  town,  killing  every  man  they 
found,  and  burning  houses.  My  boys  separated,  the 
oldest  getting  with  a  neighbor's  boy,  Robert  Winton. 
and  while  the  two  were  running  for  life  the  soldiers  saw 
them  and  fired  a  volley,  killing  poor  Bobby  and  frighten- 
ing my  boy  almost  to  death.     He  ran   in  and  hid  among 


158  COLE   YOUNGER. 

some  graves  in  the  grave-yard.     My  younger  son  ran  off 
on  the  prairie. 

"  In  fixing  my  cellar  I  had  thrown  up  a  bank  of  earth 
near  the  entrance,  and  I  crept  down  there  and  laid  my- 
self between  the  mound  of  earth  and  the  wall  in  such  a 
way  that  the  earth  would  partially  screen  me.  I  lay  up 
2)ose  to  the  kitchen  floor.  I  had  not  been  there  long, 
when  four  of  Quantrell's  men  rode  up  to  the  house  and 
demanded  admittance.  My  wife  went  to  the  front  door 
and  let  them  in.  They  demanded  whether  I  was  not  in 
the  house  or  in  the  cellar.  She  replied:  'My  husband 
and  two  oldest  boys  ran  off  as  soon  as  the  firing  began.' 
The  leader  swore  that  he  knew  I  was  in  the  cellar.  My 
wife  replied  that  she  had  two  young  children  by  her,  and 
that  she  did  not  want  any  more  oaths  uttered  before  them. 
'You  have  doubted  my  word,'  she  replied,  'you  can  look 
for  yourselves.'  I  lay  so  near  the  floor  that  I  could  hear 
every  word  that  was  said.     The  men  called  for  a  candle. 

"  My  wife  replied  that  we  did  not  burn  candles.  Then 
they  wanted  a  lantern,  but  she  said  we  hadn't  any. 
They  asked  then,  with  an  oath,  what  we  did  for  a  light. 
She  replied  that  we  burned  kerosene  in  a  lamp.  Then 
they  called  for  a  lamp,  and  my  wife  had  to  get  it,  but  the 
men  in  their  eagerness  to  light  it,  turned  the  wick  down 
in  the  oil.  Failing  to  light  it  themselves,  they  called  on 
my  wife  to  light  it. 

" '  Why,  you've  ruined  the  lamp,'  said  she;  '  it  can't  be 
lighted  with  the  mck  down  in  the  oil.' 

"  Haven't  you  another  lamp  ?"  say  they. 

*'  Yes,  there's  one  up  stairs,"  said  she,  and  they  than 
ordered  her  to  go  and  get  it. 


COLE   YOUNGER.  159 

**  *  GentlemeD,'  said  she,  '  I  can't  do  it.  Your  rudeness 
has  so  frightened  me  that  I  can  scarcel}^  hold  my  babe.' 

"One  of  the  men  then  offered  to  hold  it  for  ner,  and 
took  it  from  her  arms.  My  poor  wife  then  went  and  got 
the  lamp,  which  they  lighted  and  started  on  their  search. 
They  all  cocked  their  revolvers  and  passed  the  word  to 
kill  me  at  sight,  and  started  for  the  cellar.  I  laid  myself 
as  flat  as  I  could,  and  turned  my  face  toward  the  wall, 
for  I  knew  my  face  was  thinnest  from  ear  to  ear.  The 
light  came  to  the  door. 

"I 'tell  you,  brethren,  I  just  quit  living.  You  have 
heard  it  said  that  when  a  man  is  drowning  all  his  past 
life  comes  up  before  him." 

The  speaker's  voice  trembled;  his  eyes  became  suffused, 
and  his  whole  frame  shook  with  suppressed  emotion  as 
he  continued:  "  I  stood  then  before  the  judgment  seat. 
I  was  a  dead  man.  My  heart  ceased  to  beat.  I  already 
stood  before  my  Judge.  Brethren,  what  could  I  do,  but 
just  trust  myself  to  the  Lord. 

"The  man  who  carried  the  light  was  tall,  and  pro- 
videntially stooped  so  low  in  entering  the  cellar  that  the 
light  shining  against  the  bank  of  earth  threw  a  shadow 
over  me.  They  searched  the  cellar,  but  did  not  find  me, 
and  went  back  up  stairs.  My  wife  afterwards  told  me 
that  when  the  men  went  down  in  the  cellar,  she  took  her 
babe  and  went  into  the  parlor,  and  stood  there  holding 
her  hand  against  one  ear,  and  her  babe  against  the  other, 
expecting  every  moment  to  hear  the  report  of  the  revol- 
vers in  the  cellar,  announcing  the  death  of  her  husband. 

* '  The  soldiers  set  fire  to  the  house  in  several  places, 
and  leaving  one  of  their  number  to  prevent  my  wife  from 


160  COLE  YOUNGER. 

putting  it  out,  departed.  The  man  seemed  to  be  touched 
with  pity,  and  told  her  that  if  she  wanted  to  save  some 
furniture  he  would  help  her.  My  wife  thinks  that  hold- 
ing the  babe  in  his  arms  touched  his  heart.  She  pleaded 
with  him  if  he  had  any  consideration  for  her  helpless  chil- 
dren to  leave  the  house  and  let  her  put  out  the  lire.  He 
consented  and  left, 

"  My  wife  then  came  to  me  and  asked  me  whether  it 
was  all  right  between  me  and  God.  I  am  afraid  thej^  will 
come  back  and  kill  you  yet,  and  it  will  be  the  greatest 
comfort  to  know  that  you  felt  prepared  to  die. 

"  I  told  her  that  I  felt  that  I  was  prepared  to  die. 

''  Telling  me  to  pray,  she  left  me.  It  was  not  long  be- 
fore ajiother  party  of  Quantrell's  men  came,  and  in 
di'unken  tones — for  the  marauders  had  become  intoxi- 
cated by  this  time — demanded  whether  I  was  in  the 
house. 

** '  Do  you  suppose,'  said  my  wife,  confidently,  '  that  he 
would  stay  here  and  you  shooting  and  burning  all  over 
town  ?  No  ;  he  left  this  morning  as  soon  as  the  firing 
commenced,  and  unless  some  of  you  have  shot  him  and 
killed  him  outside,  he  is  safe.  Some  of  your  men  were 
here  this  morning  and  searched  the  house.  However,  you 
may  look  for  yourselves." 

"  In  this  way  she  bluffed  them.  They  set  fire  to  the 
house,  and  left  one,  who  drew  his  revolver  on  m}^  wife, 
and  said  he  would  kill  her  if  she  tried  to  put  it  put.  He 
stayed  till  the  house  was  so  far  consumed  that  there  was 
no  possibility  of  saving  it.  My  wife  pulled  up  a  carpet, 
and,  taking  it  to  the  yard,  dropped  it  accidentally  by  the 
door.  .      . .  ; 


COLE   YOUNGER.  161 

"  My  wife  was  afraid,  and  so  was  I,  that  I  woujd  be 
'burned  alive,  for  I  had  now  no  thought  of  doing  anything 
but  what  ni}'  wife  told  mc.  The  floor  was  on  fire  almost 
over  me,  and  the  flames  wer*;  creeping  nearer.  I\Iy  wife 
stood  and  threw  water,  pail  rJter  pail,  on  the  floor,  and 
was  doing  this  when  a  neighbor,  a  Catholic  woman,  came 
and  said  :  *  Why,  Mrs.  Fisher,  what  arc  you  doing  ? 
What  good  will  it  be  to  save  that  floor  ?  Besides,  you 
can't  save  it.' 

'*  'I  don't  care  what  good  it  will  do,'  replied  my  wife, 
*I  am  going  to  keep  on  wetting  thac  floor.' 

"  But,  finally,  when  she  saw  she  could  not  save  it,  she 
asked  the  neighbor  whether  she  could  keep  a  secret. 
She  then  swore  her  by  the  Virgin  Mary  never  to  reveal  it. 

'' '  Well,  then,  said  my  wife,  *  my  husband  is  under 
that  floor.' 

''The  soldiers  were  still  everywhere,  shooting  and 
burning,  and  the  air  was  filled  with  the  shrieks  of 
wounded  and  dying  men,  the  wailings  of  widows  and 
orphans,  and  the  sound  of  falling  buildings.  My  wife 
then  called  me  to  come  out,  and  threw  a  dress  over  my 
shoulders.  The  two  women  picked  up  the  carpet,  and  I 
crawled  under  it  between  them,  and  so  we  proceeded 
to  a  small  bush  about  four  feet  high,  out  in  the  yard. 

"  There  my  wife  saw  four  soldiers  ready  to  fire.  They 
were  not  a  hundred  yards  off.  Then,  for  the  first  time, 
the  poor  woman  despaired.  A  pang  then  shot  to  her 
heart,  and  she  gave  up  all  for  lost.  Nevertheless,  I  slunk 
under  the  bush,  and  they  threw  the  carpet  over  me. 

"*Save  the  chairs!'  cried  my  wife;  and  they  rushed 
to  where  the  chairs  were  piled,  close  to  the   burning 


162  COLE   YOUNGEK, 

building,  and  ran  with  fchem  and  flung  them  carelessly 
upon  me,  and  piled  up  all  that  was  saved  of  our  house- 
hold goods  about  me.  The  soldiers,  evidently,  thought 
the  pile  only  a  lot  of  household  furniture,  and  left  it  un- 
molested. 

"  I  staid  there  till  two  hours  after  they  left,  and  then 
gathered  my  wife  and  my  four  children — for  the  two  boys 
had  come  back — and  in  the  garden  we  knelt  and  thanked 
God  for  deliverance.  Brethren,  you  don't  know  what  it 
is  to  be  thankful." 

THE    BAXTEE   SPRINGS    AFFAIR. 

Shortly  after  the  Lawrence,  Kansas,  raid, 
Quantrell  gathered  his  men  together  and  went 
South,  but  on  the  way  down  determined  to 
give  the  Federal  forces  stationed  at  Baxter 
Springs,  Kansas,  a  slight  "shake  up."  Ac- 
cordingly, in  October,  1863,  they  started  on 
their  southern  trip,  by  way  of  Baxter  Springs,* 
which  place  they  found  strongly  guarded  and 
fortified.  .  After  slipping  up  within  shooting 
distance  a  few  rounds  were  fired  and  then  a 
retreat  was  ordered.  They  were  not  pursued, 
and  it  was  thought  the  Federals  stationed 
there  feared  a  trap  was  set  for  them. 

FIGHT    WITH    GEN.  BLUNT's  BODYGUARD. 

The  next  day,  while  on  the  road  south, 
Quantrell  met  Gen.  Blunt  and  his  bodyguard, 
coming  up.     When  Blunt  saw  Quantrell  and 


COiE   YOUNGEK.  165 

his  men  he  took  them  for  Federals,  and  his 
brass  band  at  once  struck  up  a  hvely  tune. 
Qu'intrell  at  once  formed  his  men  in  hne  of 
battle,  yet  Blunt  supposed  they  were  forming 
to  tire  a  salute.  Blunt  marched  on  up  the 
road,  not  anticipating  danger,  and  when  they 
arrived  within  short  range,  Quantrell  ordered 
his  men  to  lire  on  them,  which  they  did  with 
murderous  effect,  kilhng  nearly  all  of  his  men, 
about  80  in  number,  with  a  few  exceptions. 
Gen.  Blunt  was  one  of  the  lucky  ones.  Blunt 
was  riding  in  a  buggy,  and  as  soon  as  the  firing 
commenced  he  jumped  out,  mounted  a  fleet 
horse,  wnich  was  tied  behind  the  btiggy,  mth 
saddle  and  bridle  on,  and  rode  rapidly  off. 
Quantrell  captured  Blunt 's  buggy  and  fine 
match  horses,  ambulance,  brass  band  instru- 
ments, his  sword,  whicn  w^as  carried  South  and 
presented  to  Gen,  Price;  also  a  lot  of  arms, 
horses,  &c.  The  men  composing  the  band 
w^ere  about  the  only  ones  who  made  resistance, 
and  they  fought  to  the  last.  One  of  Young- 
er's  men  got  killed  in  charging  the  band  wa- 
gon. Quantrell  then  went  south  and  reported 
to  Gen.  Joe.  Shelby,  and  the  forces  under  his 
command  were  sent  to  the  Mississippi  river. 
Cole  Younger  remained  here  for  some  time  and 
finally  went  to  California. 


166         COLE  AND  JOHN  YOUNGER. 

COLEMAN  AND  JOHN  YOUNGER 


THE   CONSOLLAS    AFFAIE. 

In  the  summer  of  1868,  two  of  the  Younger 
Brothers,  Coleman  and  John,  were  in  SedaHa, 
Missouri.  While  there  they  chanced  to  meet 
upon  the  public  road  a  man  by  the  name  of 
ConsoUas,  who  lived  near  Brownington,  Henry 
county,  Missouri.  While  in  Sedalia,  ConsoUas 
bantered  the  Younger  boys  for  a  game  of  cards, 
but  they  declined,  stating  that  they  seldom  in= 
dulged  in  that  kind  of  amusement,  and  when 
they  did,  it  was  simply  for  amusement,  and  not 
for  money,  ConsoUas  kept  at  them  to  play, 
and  Cole  told  him  if  nothing  else  would  do 
him,  he  would  play  him  a  few  games  of  draw 
poker.  After  playing  a  short  time  ConsoUas' 
money  began  rapidly  to  pass  from  his  posses- 
sion into  that  of  Younger's.  After  playing 
several  hours  Younger  won  all  the  money  he 
had,  55150.  When  the  old  man  discovered  that 
his  money  was  all  gone  he  began  to  get  a  little 
crusty  and  told  Younger  he  believed  he  stole 
cards.  "I  did  not,"  rephed  Younger.  The  old 
man  rephed,  "I'll  be  d — d  if  you  didn't." 
"You  are  mistaken,"  replied  Cole  Younger,  "it 


COLE  AND  JOHN  YOUNGER.         1G7 

w.as  a  fair  game,  but  luck  was  against  yoii,  that 
is  all.  A  man  can't  be  in  luck  all  the  time." 
'*  Well,"  replied  Consollas,  "  you  have  got  my 
last  dollar."  "  How  tar  are  you  from  home?  " 
asked  Younger.  "Fifty  miles,"  replied  Con- 
sollas. "Well,"  replied  Younger,  "I  will  give 
you  money  enough  to  take  you  back  to  the  old 
woman."  "By  G — d,  I  don't  want  to  see  the 
old  woman  in  my  fix ;  not  a  dollar  in  my  pock- 
et," replied  the  old  man.  "  Well,  I  will  give 
you  a  chance  to  win  back  your  money,"  said 
Younger,  "if  you  will  get  a  stake  from  some 
of  your  friends.',  "What  would  ba  the  use, 
d — n  you,  you  would  steal  that,  too."  The 
language  of  the  old  man  then  got  a  little  too 
insulting  for  Cole,  and  he  slapped  him  in  the 
face,  and  stepped  out  of  the  room. 

A  week  or  two  after  the  above  occurrence 
Cole  Younger  and  two  of  his  brothers,  James 
and  John,  in  company  with  a  few  friends,  who 
had  their  families  with  them,  started  to  move 
to  Texas,  his  friends  and  their  families  stopping 
a  few  days  at  the  Monegaw  Springs,  St.  Clair 
county.  Cole  Younger  and  his  brothers  were 
yet  in  Lafayette  county,  but  in  a  few  days 
passed  on  down  to  Monegaw^  Springs.  They 
passed  through  Clinton  and  Brownington, 
Henry  county,  on  the  road  to  the  Monegaw 


168        COLE  AND  JOHN  YOUNGEK. 

Springs,  close  by  the  house  of  Consollas,  where 
he  kept  store.  Consollas  recognized  Cole 
Younger,  and  as  soon  as  he  and  his  brothers 
passed,  Consollas  set  about  to  concoct  some 
plan  by  which  he  could  wreak  vengeance  upon 
him  for  the  loss  of  his  money  as  well  as  the 
slapping  of  his  face.  He  had  a  large  pasture, 
part  prairie  and  part  timber,  and  at  once  jumped 
upon  a  horse  and  went  to  his  neighbors  and 
told  them  that  a  certain  gray  horse  was  stolen 
out  of  the  pasture,  and  from  where  the  fence 
was  thrown  down,  as  from  the  traces  he  could 
see,  he  beheved  the  thief  had  gone  to  Monegaw 
Springs.  By  these  false  representations  he  in- 
duced some  ten  or  fifteen  of  his  neighbors  to 
accompany  him  to  the  Springs,  he  leading  the 
party,  well  knowing  who  it  was  he  wanted. 
Seeing  them  pass,  and  knowing  the  direction 
they  took,  he  was  not  long  in  getting  on  the 
trail  of  the  Younger  Brothers,  who  had  got 
with  and  met  their  moving  friends  at  Mone- 
gaw  Springs,  according  to  promise.  This  was 
about  the  first  of  September,  1868.  The 
weather  was  warm,  and  a  great  many  persons 
were  at  the  Springs,  partaking  of  those  healing 
waters,  as  well  as  enjoying  the  delightful 
breeze.  Consollas  and  his  party  came  upon 
the  ground  heavily  armed  with  shot-guns  and 


COLE   AND   JOHN    YOUNGER.  161) 

revolvers,  seemingly  on  the  war  trail.  Cole 
Younger  eyed  them  closely  and  soon  recog- 
nized the  man  he  had  won  $150  of  in  Sedalia, 
and  at  once  came  to  the  conclusion  that  the 
old  fellow  was  after  nothing  good.  He  watclied 
him  closely.  Finally,  Consollas  and  party 
moved  about  among  the  campers  and  told  them 
of  his  having  had  a  gray  horse  stolen  in  Henry 
county,  and  he  believed  them  fellers,  pointing 
to  Cole  Younger  and  his  brothers,  wore  the 
guilty  parties,  and  asked  them  if  they  would 
assist  to  arrest  them.  Some  of  the  men  talked 
to,  knew  Cole  Younger  and  his  brothers,  and 
they  at  once  notified  them  of  the  business  of 
the  armed  men.  When  Consollas  was  asked  if 
his  horse  was  upon  the  ground,  he  replied  no, 
they  had  sold  him.  After  learning  these  facts, 
Cole  and  his  brothers,  not  desiring  to  have  any 
difficulty,  quietly  mounted  their  horses  and 
rode  over  the  creek  until  they  got  out  of  siglit 
of  the  armed  mob,  when  they  halted  and 
grazed  their  horses.  After  the  mob  found  that 
the  Youngers  had  friends  there,  who  did  not 
believe  them  guilty  of  stealing  horses,  and  find- 
ing that  they  were  gone,  they  returned  to  their 
homes.  It  was  afterwards  proven  that  the  old 
man  had  not  lost  a  horse,  and  that  his  animal 
was  in  the  pasture  at  that  very  time.    After 


170  JAMES    H.    YOUNGER. 

his  neighbors  who  were  fooled  into  the  pre- 
tended hunt  for  horse  thieves  learned  the  facts 
in  the  case,  they  talked  strongly  of  taking  the 
old  man  out  and  flogging  him.  This  circum- 
stance is  but  one  among  many  which  have  been 
gotten  up  to  prejudice  the  public  mind  against 
the  Younger s. 


JAMES  H.  YOUNGER. 


James  H.  Younger  is  near  29  years  of  age. 
He  joined  the  forces  of  Quantrell  in  the  year 
1863,  sometime  after  Coleman,  and  the  cause 
of  him  doing  so,  was  owing  to  the  treatment 
his  father  and  mother  had  received  at  the 
hands  of  the  Jayhawkers,  as  well  as  the  treat- 
ment he  received  at  their  hands  on  several  oc- 
casions, although  a  mere  boy.  He  is  a  young 
man  of  limited  education,  never  having  had  an 
opportunity  to  avail  himself  of  the  means  of 
getting  one,  owing  to  the  troubled  condition  of 
the  country,  the  bad  feeling  that  existed 
shortly  after  the  war,  and  to  the  fact  that  al- 
most immediately  on  his  return  home  after  the 
war,  he  was  compelled  to  move  from  place  to 
place  to  prevent  his  personal    enemies   from 


JAMES    H.    V^)rN'LlER  ITi 

taking  his  life.  He  was  also  kex^t  in  the  inih- 
tary  prison,  in  Kentucky,  for  abont  six  months 
after  tlie  surrender  of  the  Confederate  forces. 
During  the  vrar  he  figured  less  conspicuously 
than  did  his  elder  brother,  Coleman,  although 
we  have  been  able  to  gather  a  few  instances  in 
which  he  showed  great  bravery  and  performed 
some  almost  miraculous  feats. 

A   NARROW    ESCAPE    IN    KANSAS    CITY. 

In  the  summer  of  1863,  James  Younger  and 
four  of  his  comrades  went  to  Kansas  City  one 
night,  which  place  was  then  held  by  the  Fede- 
rals. They  rode  their  horses,  managing  to 
evade  the  pickets.  After  entering  the  city  and 
hitching  their  horses  in  a  back  alley,  they  prom- 
enaded over  town  for  some  time,  until  finally 
the  police  found  them  out  and  gave  them  chase. 
They  at  once  made  for  the  bank  of  the  river, 
hoping  to  find  a  skiff  and  make  their  escape 
across  the  river,  for  they  at  once  saw  plainly 
that  they  were  cut  off  from  their  horses.  James 
Younger  was  pressed  so  closely  that  he  was 
compelled  to  run  through  an  alley,  thus  cut- 
ting him  off  from  the  rest  of  the  men.  He 
continued  his  flight  in  the  direction  of  the 
river,  which  point  he  gained  in  safety,  but  not 
finding  a  skiff',  and  hearing  the  near  approach 


172  JAMES    H.    YOUNGER. 

of  Lis  pursuers,  had  no  time  to  conjecture  or 
plan  for  escape,  but  at  once  jumped  into  the 
river  with  all  of  his  clothes  on,  hoping  to  gain 
a  sand  bar  in  the  river,  distant  about  300  yards. 
He  had  often  seen  this  bar  in  the  days  of  peace, 
long  before  war  had  cursed  the  land  of  his  birth. 
He  landed  upon  the  bar  in  safety,  wliere  some 
driftwood  had  lodged.  While  swimming  to 
the  bar  the  policemen  had  sent  bullets  after 
him,  but  without  taking  effect.  While  pulling 
off  his  clothes  preparatory  to  swimming  across 
the  river,  he  saw  a  steamboat  coming  up,  and 
waited  until  it  passed  him.  As  it  passed  he 
concealed  himself  as  best  he  could.  The  boat 
ran  so  close  to  him  that  the  light  from  it  ht  up 
the  bar  upon  which  he  was  very  brightly.  As 
soon  as  it  had  passed  and  the  dark  mantle  of 
night  was  again  thrown  over  all  around  him, 
he  pulled  off  his  clothes  and  set  out  for  the  op- 
posite shore,  which  he  reached  in  safety.  Be- 
Heving  that  all  of  his  comrades  were  on  that 
side  of  the  river,  andfeeling  greatly  exhausted, 
he  at  once  commenced  hooting  like  an  owl,  a 
very  common  practice  with  Quantrell's  men 
when  out  at  night  and  wishing  to  find  one  an- 
other. This  hoot  was  soon  answered  by  four 
others,  when  he  at  once  knew  that  his  com- 
panions were  near  him.     They  were   now  in 


JAMES   H.    YOUNGER.  173 

Clay  county,  Missouri,  and  he  was  naked,  on 
foot  and  without  arms.  He  at  once  chmbed 
up  the  bank  and  hooted  again,  which  was  an- 
swered, and  lie  and  his  companions  were  soon 
together  again.  After  detaihng  to  one  another 
their  escape,  &c.,  James  said  to  tho  others, 
"Boys,  I  must  have  a  suit  of  clothes." 
"Well,"  replied  James,  "Liberty  has  got 
plenty  in  it."  ''Yes,"  one  replied,  "but  how 
are  you  going  to  get  there."  "That  don't 
make  anj'^  difference,"  said  James,  "I  must 
have  them,  and  will.  We  have  all  lost  our 
horses  and  must  have  a  complete  cavalry  out- 
fit to-night,  and  be  upon  the  other  side  of  the 
river  before  day  lights  up  the  Eastern  horizon." 
"Well,  that  is  the  right  kind  of  talk,"  was  the 
reply.  "  Now,  boys,  we  must  get  all  we  want 
from  the  Federals  at  Liberty,"  said  Younger. 
"  When  we  get  within  one  mile  of  town  we 
will  leave  the  main  road.  By  so  doing  we  will 
miss  the  pickets.  We  will  then  follow  the  by- 
roads and  paths  until  we  get  near  the  camp 
guard,  if  they  chance  to  have  any  out,  but  as 
it  is  a  rainy  night,  they  may  not  have  any. 
Should  they  have  them  posted  around  the 
camp,  we  will  skylight  them  or  find  their 
whereabouts,  somehow."  So  on  they  went  un- 
til they  could  discern  the  town  through  the 


174  JAMES    11.    YOUNGEK. 

darkness,  hy  the  white  houses.  Here  they 
turned  to  ihe  left  and  went  into  town  in  the 
rear.  As  they  eaiitionsl}^  approached  the  camp 
James  Younger  stopped.  He  liad  seen  a  guard 
between  him  and  a  smoldering  hght.  He  then 
told  his  companions  to  squat  down,  and  he 
w^ould  see  where  the  next  sentinel  w^as  placed 
upon  i>ost.  Younger  soon  returned  with  the 
information  that  there  was  one  other  guard  on 
that  side  of  the  towm,  and  said  he  felt  sure  they 
could  pass  between  the  two,  and  if  they  could, 
they  were  all  right,  as  it  was  now  about  one  or 
tw^o  o'clock,  and  he  thought  the  entire  camp 
was  asleep.  Younger  led  the  w^ay  to  a  small 
ditch,  which  run  back  from  an  alley,  up  this 
ditcli  and  througji  the  alley  they  went,  passing 
the  guards  imobseryed,  and  entering  the  Fed- 
eial  camp.  Everything  was  as  still  as  death 
— none  were  awake.  There  w^as  no  time  to  be 
lost.  Younger  soon  got  himself  a  suit  of 
clothes.  The  next  thing  they  needed  w^as 
horses  and  equipments.  They  then  went  to 
where  the  horses  were  tied,  selected  the  best 
ones  they  could  find,  procured  saddles  and  bri- 
dles, put  them  on.  and  all  was  now  ready  to 
mount  and  leave,  when  Younger  happened  to 
think  tliat  he  had  no  arms.  He  concluded 
tiiat  he  would  yet  secure  a  couple  of  goodrevol- 


JAMES    H.    YOUNGER  175 

vers,  and  at  once  crawled  among  the  sleeping  sol- 
diers to  secure  pistols.  This  was  soon  done. 
Alter  buckling  on  the  revolvers  he  returned  to 
his  companions,  who  were  waiting  for  him, 
when  they  mounted  the  horses  and  started  to 
ride  off.  x\s  they  did  so  the  cry  sounded  in 
their  ears,  "thieves  in  camp."  It  was  now 
time  to  be  getting  away,  and  they  put  spurs  to 
their  horses  and  left  on  a  double  quick,  making 
their  way  out  about  the  same  way  they  went 
in,  running  over  the  first  picket  they  discov- 
ered going  in,  who  was  asleep,  and  made  their 
way  out  in  safety.  The  next  thing  was  to  cross 
the  Missouri  river  before  day.  They  arrived 
upon  the  river  bank  just  as  day  was  breaking, 
at  an  old  crossing  below  Independence,  where 
they  plunged  their  horses  into  the  river  and 
swam  safely  over  to  the  opposite  shore,  just  as 
the  lark  had  commenced  to  warble  his  morning 
notes. 

CAPTURED  IN  KENTUCKY. 

In  the  fall  of  1864  James  Younger  accom- 
panied Quantrell  to  Kentuckj^,  the  latter  intend- 
ing to  go  to  his  old  home  in  Maryland.  Quan- 
trell then  passed  himself  and  his  men  off  as 
Federals,  drawing  rations  from  the  Federal 
'officers  at  Louisville.  One  day,  however,  one 
of  ills  men  got  di*unk  and  yelled  out  in  a  loud 


176  JOHN   YOUNGER. 

voice  for  Quantrell,  which  at  once  aroused  sus- 
picion, and  Quantrell  learning  the  fact,  drew 
his  men  off  and  a  light  soon  commenced, 
Quantrell  cutting  the  telegraph  wires  and  cut- 
ting up  Jack  generally.  This  discovery  created 
much  commotion  in  Federal  circles  throughout 
the  State  of  Kentucky,  the  Federal  officers 
scarcely  knew  what  to  do.  During  the  battle 
with  Quantrell  and  his  men,  in  which  the 
former  was  killed,  or  at  least  mortally  wounded, 
James  Younger  was  taken  prisoner  and  sent  to 
the  Alton,  Illinois,  Military  prison,  remaining 
there  until  the  summer  of  1866,  when  he  was 
released  and  returned  home  to  Jackson  county, 
Missouri,  the  home  of  his  mother,  where  he 
and  the  other  boys  commenced  to  make  rails 
and  improve  the  farm,  nearly  everything  hav- 
ing been  destroyed  during  the  war.  But  he 
was  not  long  allowed  to  remain  home  in  peace, 
as  the  Jayhawkers  were  continually  visiting 
the  home  of  their  mother,  in  the  hope  of  cap- 
turing Cole  and  James,  the  two  oldest,  who 
had  been  with  Quantrell. 


JOHN  YOUNGER. 


John   Younger  was  24  years   of  age  at  the 
time  of  his  death. 


JOHN   YOUNGER  17T 

John  Younger,  in  1865,  in  Independence,  Mo., 
s'hot  and  killed  a  man.  He  was  arrested  and 
tried  by  the  authorities  and  acquitted  on  the 
ground  of  self-defence,  he  being  only  15  years 
of  age  at  the  time." 

The  nerve  of  the  Younger s  under  circum- 
stances the  most  disadvantageous,  is  one  of 
their  peculiar  traits.  They  seem  not  to  know 
what  it  is  to  be  overpowered.  No  better  illus- 
tration of  the  character  of  the  Younger s  need 
be  cited  than  the  shooting  of  John  Younger  by 
Capt.  Lull,  one  of  Pinkerton's  Chicago  detec- 
tives, in  March,  1874,  near  Monegaw  Springs, 
St.  Clair  county,  Missouri.  John  Younger  was 
sitting  on  his  horse  at  the  time,  with  his  gun 
resting  on  the  pommel  of  his  saddle.  Lull 
watched  his  opportunity,  drew  his  revolver  and 
shot  John  Younger  full  in  the  throat,  tearing 
open  the  jugular  vein.  With  the  life-blood 
pouring  in  a  great  gushing  stream,  Younger 
actually  straightened  himself  in  his  saddle, 
threw^  forward  his  gun,  and,  with  deliberate 
aim,  poured  a  heavy  load  of  buckshot  into 
Capt.  Lull's  chest  and  left  arm,  and  then 
dropped  his  gun  and  drew  his  revolver,  which 
he  emptied  into  the  body  of  Lull  and  Ed.  Dan- 
iels, before  he  fell  from  his  horse.    With  truth 


178  JOHN   YOUNGER. 

it  may  be  said  that  there  are  few  instances  of 
hke  character  on  record. 

But  this  was  not  the  first  time  that  John 
Yomiger  had  shown  that  strange  characteristic 
of  the  genuine  l*order  desperado ;  the  almost 
superhuman  faculty  of  looking  unflinchingly 
into  the  face  of  death,  and  struggling  up  from 
a  blow  which  would  have  crushed  999  men  out 
of  every  1,000,  to  inflict  a  mortal  wound  upon 
his  slayer.  He  was  not  out  of  his  teens  when 
the  war  closed.  The  mother,  broken  down  by 
the  unceasing  persecutions  of  the  Jayhawkers, 
had  gathered  her  children  about  her  on  the 
farm  they  had  been  forced  to  abandon  in  Jack- 
son county  at  the  outbreak  of  the  war.  John 
Younger  had  returned,  and  Cole  and  Jim,  the 
eldest  brothers,  were  supposed  to  have  come 
back  also.  It  was  asking  too  much  of  human 
nature  to  think  the  memories  of  the  border  ac- 
trocities  could  be  wiped  oat  by  the  surrender 
at  Appomattox. 

THE  JAYHAWKERS   HANG   JOHN   UP. 

One  night  a  band  of  Jayhawkers  swooped 
down  on  the  farm  house,  broke  in  the  doors 
and  windows,  and,  with  ready  revolvers  in 
hand,  sprang  in  to  wipe  out  a  long  score  with 
the  Guerrillas.     They  found  only  the  poor  wo- 


John  VoUNdER.  \'J9 

man  dying  with  consumption,  her  children 
about  her.  Disappointed  at  not  meeting  the 
older  brothers,  they  took  John  Younger  to  th(i 
barn.  They  had  reason  to  believe  that  Cole  and 
Jim  were  still  in  the  vicinity.  A  rope  was  thrown 
over  a  beam,  the  noose  put  around  the  boy's 
neck,  and  he  was  told  that  only  by  revealing 
the  hiding  place  of  his  brothers  could  he  save 
his  life.  Three  times  he  was  strung  up  until 
almost  dead,  then  lowered  and  resuscitated, 
but  only  refused  to  give  the  desired  informa- 
tion. The  fourth  time  the  furious  band  left 
him  dangling  in  the  air  until  the  rope  had  cut 
through  the  skin  and  buried  itself  in  the  boy's 
neck.  When  the  rope  was  lowered  he  lay  limp 
and  lifeless  on  the  stable-floor  without  percep- 
tible respiration.  It  was  half  an  hour  before 
consciousness  began  to  return,  and  when,  weak 
and  panting,  their  victim  was  unable  to  stand, 
the  fiends  wounded  him  with  their  sabres, 
forced  him  to  accompany  them,  accelerating 
his  speed  from  time  to  time  by  striking  him 
upon  the  shoulders  with  the  butts  of  their 
muskets.  The  next  morning  he  crawled  back 
home  half  dead,  to  find  his  mother's  end 
hastened  by  the  agonizing  suspense  of  the 
night.  Soon  after  that  the  mother  of  the 
Youngers  died,  and  the  boyshecome  wanderers 


180  JOHN   YOUNGER. 

without  a  local  habitation  beyond  the  wild  cat^ 
tie  ranches  of  Western  Texas.  Much  of  their 
time  was  spent  on  the  cattle  trail  from  the 
Mexican  border  to  Missouri. 

KILLING  OF  THE   SHEEIFF  AT  DALLAS,  TEXAS. 

About  the  first  of  January,  1871,  John 
Younger  stopped  for  a  short  time  in  Dallas, 
Texas,  and  was  engaged  in  clerking  in  a  store. 
While  there  he  met  an  old  Missourian,  named 
Nichols,  who  was  then  sheriff  of  the  county. 
Nichols  had  been  a  Colonel  in  the  Confederate 
army.  Several  accounts  have  oeen  published 
in  newspapers  of  the  origin  and  termination  of 
the  difficulty  he  had  there,  but  we  are  informed 
on  reliable  authority  that  the  accounts  thus 
published  were  incorrect,  in  the  main  facts,  in 
regard  to  the  case,  and  we  shall  proceed  to 
give  the  true  version  of  the  difficulty,  as  we 
learn  it  from  one  who  was  a  friend  to  both 
parties. 

One  night  John  Younger  and  a  friend  were 
in  a  saloon,  and  all  had  been  indulging  pretty 
freely,  and  joking  and  sport  was  carried  on  to 
a  considerable  extent.  There  was  in  the  saloon 
at  the  time  an  old  codger  who  was  generally 
regarded  as  a  fool,  and  with  whom  almost 
everybody  took  greater  or  less  liberty.    After 


JOHN    YOUNGER.  181 

some  joking  witli  liim,  John  Younger  told  liim 
to  stand  still  and  he  would  show  him  how  close 
he  could  shoot  to  his  nose  without  hitting  it. 
John  Younger  then  drew  his  revolver  and  fired 
several  shots,  each  time  the  ball  passing  very 
close  to  the  old  man's  nose.  At  length  Y'^ounger 
put  up  his  revolver  and  let  the  old  man  alone, 
as  he  observed  that  he  seemed  very  much 
frightened. 

Some  of  the  crowd  then  got  around  the  old^ 
man  and  made  him  believe  that  Y^ounger  was 
trying  to  kill  him,  and  advised  him  to  go  and 
swear  out  a  States  warrant  for  Y'^ounger.  The 
old  man  finally  left  the  saloon  and  actually  did 
go  and  sw^ear  oat  a  warrant  for  the  arrest  of 
Younger.  After  remaining  in  the  saloon  for 
some  time  Y^ounger  went  to  the  hotel  and  then 
to  bed.  As  before  stated,  a  warrant  was  issued 
that  night  and  placed  in  the  hands  of  the 
Sheriff,  who  went  to  the  hotel  early  the  next 
morning  in  search  of  Younger,  and  found  him 
in  bed.  He  told  Y^ounger  that  he  had  a  war- 
rant for  his  arrest,  when  Younger  replied,  "  All 
right;  give  me  time  to  get  my  breakfast,  and  I 
wall  report  at  your  office  in  an  hour."  The 
Youngers  were  well  known,  all  along  the  border, 
at  that  time,  and  the  Sheriff,  apparently  ac- 
quiesced  in  the   arrangement   and  went    off. 


182  JOHN    YOUNGER. 

Younger  calmly  and  cooly  dressed  himself,  ate 
his  breakfast,  and  walked  to  the  stable  to  look 
at  his  horse.  A  guard  stood  at  the  stable-door 
and  refused  him  entrance.  Infuriated  at  the 
apparent  want  of  faith  on  the  part  of  the 
Sheriff,  Younger  turned  on  his  heel  and  strode 
into  the  Sheriff's  office.  An  armed  man  stood 
at  the  door,  and  as  Younger  pushed  in,  another 
man,  with  a  gun  between  his  knees,  grudgingly 
made  room  for  him.  Walking  straight  up  to 
the  Sheriff,  Younger  said:  ''You  have  not 
treated  me  right,  Colonel."  The  Sheriff  re- 
plied stiffly  and  drew  his  revolver.  Younger  at 
once  followed  the  movement,  and  simultane- 
ously came  the  fire.  The  Sheriff  dropped  dy- 
ing, shot  through  the  chest.  Younger  stepped 
back,  and,  as  he  did  so,  the  man  at  the  door 
raised  his  gun  and  poured  a  double  charge  of 
buckshot  in  Younger's  left  arm  and  shoulder, 
tearing  the  flesh  into  shreds.  So  close  w^as  the 
range  that  the  flash  of  the  powder  cauterized 
the  wound,  in  a  measure.  Younger  went  down 
under  the  fearful  shock,  but  in  a  moment 
struggled  to  his  feet,  and,  putting  his  revolver 
to  the  man's  breast,  shot  him  dead. 

He  then  took  a  grey  horse  from  a  ranch  near 
by,  belonging  to  a  neighborhood  Doctor,  and 
tied,  in  company  with  an  old  Confederate  friend, 


JOHN    YOUNGER.  183 

aiming  for  Red  River,  which  place  he  reached 
by  sunrise  the  next  morning,  a  distance  of  80 
mile's.  After  reaching  the  north  bank  of  the 
river,  the  Sheriff's  party  arrived  on  the  opposite 
bank,  in  pursuit  of  Younger,  wlien  some  shots 
were  exchanged  between  the  parties,  tw^o  of  the 
Sheriff 's  party  being  wounded.  The  Sheriff's 
party  then  retraced  their  steps.  Younger  and 
his  friend  took  breakfast  at  the  house  of  a  friend 
near  by.  Here  Younger  had  his  wounds  dressed 
for  the  first  time.  After  breakfast  and  his 
wounds  were  dressed,  he  left  for  St.  Clair 
county,  Missouri,  where  he  stopped  with  a 
friend,  near  Chalk  Level,  until  about  the  first 
of  June,  1871,  when  he  went  to  Kansas  City, 
took  the  cars  for  California,  and  in  a  few^  days 
reached  the  house  of  his  uncle.  He  was  not 
satisfied  here,  and  after  remaining  but  a  few 
months,  he  started  back  to  the  States,  by  rail. 
After  the  train  left  a  station  200  miles  w^est  of 
Denver,  Colorado,  he  jumped  oft'  the. cars.  His 
jumping  off  was  caused  by  a  couple  of  Detec- 
tives getting  on  the  cars  at  this  station,  and 
'after  sitting  a  moment,  eyed  Younger,  as  he 
supposed,  and  then  told  him  to  surrender,  at 
the  same  time  drawing  a  pistol.  Younger  then 
drew  his  pistol,  and  shot  the  Detective  who 
spoke,  and  then  jumped  out  of  the  window.  As 


184  JOHN    YOUNGEK. 

was  afterwards  learned,  the  Detective  was  not 
after  Younger,  but  the  man  who  was  in  the 
seat  with  him.  Younger,  after  jumping 'from 
the  train,  made  for  the  momitains.  He  was 
then  200  miles  from  Denver,  amid  the  lofty 
peaks  of  the  Rocky  Mountains.  He  then 
steered  his  course  the  best  he  could  in  the  di- 
rection of  Denver  City,  and  finally  arrived  at  a 
friendly  habitation,  upon  one  of  the  small  tribu- 
taries at  the  head  of  the  Green  River.  By 
this  time  he  was  worn  out  by  fatigue  and  ex- 
haustion, his  feet  one  blister.  He  was  now  15 
miles  from  Denver.  Here  he  hired  a  ranchman 
to  convey  him  on  horseback  to  Denver  City, 
for  which  conveyance  he  paid  him  $75,  which 
took  nearly  all  the  money  he  had.  He  staid 
there  but  a  few  days,  and  wdien  some  teams 
were  starting  for  Kansas,  he  succeeded  in  get- 
ting with  them  as  teamster  simply  for  his  board. 
After  getting  into  the  interior  of  Kansas  he  left 
the  teams  and  started  across  the  country  on 
foot,  aiming  to  get  to  Independence,  Mo.,  where 
he  arrived  at  his  uncle's,  Dr.  Twyman,  who 
lives  near  Blue  Mills,  Jackson  county,  com- 
pletely worn  out.  Not  being  accustomed  to 
walking,  the  trip  was  very  hard  on  him,  as  he 
was  but  19  years  of  age,  though  he  had  seen 
much  trouble   and  knew  how   to   endure    it. 


JOHN   YOUNGEE.  187 

From  the  name  the  Yomigers  have,  the  reader 
would  suppose  lie  would  have  stolen  at  least  a 
mustang  pony,  hat  such  was  not  the  case. 
After  returning  from  this  trip,  he  was  asked 
why  he  did  not  steal  a  pony,  and  he  replied 
that  he  never  wanted  the  name  of  a  horse  thief ; 
our  names  are  had  enough  now,  and  I  never 
want  the  name  of  horse  thief  added— -I  was 
raised  by  honest  and  pious  parents  and  could 
not  thnik  of  disgracing  their  untimely  ashes  by 
such  an  act.  The  cry  against  me  and  my 
brothers  is  false  to  a  great  extent,  and  for  what 
we  are  guilty,  rests  upon  other  shoulders.  (He 
refers  to  the  death  of  his  parents,  and  says  they 
cry  us  down  to  have  us  murdered.)  My  life  has 
never  been  any  satisfaction  to  me,  but  has  been 
but  one  continued  series  of  troubles,  etc.  If  I 
thought  I  would  have  to  endure  as  much  trou- 
ble as  I  have  done  in  the  next  ten  years  I  would 
rather  die  now.  Money  caused  the  death  of 
Pa,  and  now  the  rascals  of  the  country,  to  get 
money,  are  robbing  bank  after  bank,  and  all  is 
laid  to  the  Younger s.  One  may  be  robbed  in 
Denver  to-day  and  one  in  Louisville,  Ky.,  and 
both  will  be  charged  to  the  Youngers. 


188  ROBERT    EWING    YOUNGER. 

ROBERT  EWING  YOUNGER. 


Robert  Younger  is  the  youngest  of  the  boys, 
being  now  only  22  years  of  age.  He  was  too 
young  to  take  part  in  the  late  war,  but,  as  he 
grew  up  to  manhood  and  learned  and  saw  the 
brutal  treatment  of  his  father  and  mother,  ne- 
cessarily became  revengeful  and  entertained  but 
httle  love  for  those  who  took  part  in  it,  or  in 
any  way  sympathized  wdth  those  who  were  par- 
ticipants in  these  outrages.  We  have  but  lit- 
tle of  his  life,  singly,  though  much  in  connec- 
tion with  one  or  more  of  his  brothers,  which 
will  be  found  under  appropriate  headings. 


JOHN  AND  ROBERT  E.  YOUNGER. 


CHARGED  WITH  STEALING  HORSES. 

About  the  first  of  December,  1873,  a  horse 
was  stolen 'in  Clay  county,  Missouri,  and  a  cer- 
tain man  in  the  neighborhood  who  did  not  like 
the  Youngers,  at  once  accused  the  boys  of  tak- 
ing   the  horse.     He  at  length    succeeded  in 


JOHN  AND  KOBERT  E.    YOUNGER.      189 

making  the  loser  of  the  annual  believe  that  it 
could  be  foiuid  in  St.  Clair  county,  and  asked 
that  a  party  of  men  accompany  him  to  where, 
he  believed,  the  liorse  could  be  recovered.  As 
the  sequel  afterwards  proved,  a  party  accom- 
panied him  as  far  as  Appleton  City,  in  St. 
Clair  county,  where  additional  recruits  were 
added,  when  the  whole  party  proceeded  to  the 
vicinity  of  Monegaw  Springs,  in  St.  Clair 
county,  Missouri,  the  neighborhood  in  w^hich 
the  Youngers  usually  resort  when  in  that  sec- 
tion of  country.  A  man  by  the  name  of  Mor- 
row was  about  to  mount  his  horse  and  ride  to 
a  n^ghbor's,  when  he  discovered  a  party  of 
armed  men  coming  tow^ards  him.  Mr.  Morrow 
become  somewhat  alarmed  at  the  sight  of 
armed  men,  not  knowing  what  it  meant,  and 
proceeded  to  mount  his  horse.  Seeing  the 
movements  of  Mr.  Morrow,  and  by  this  time 
being  nearly  in  gun-shot  range,  the  approach- 
ing mob  called  to  him  to  halt,  at  the  same  time 
quickening  their  speed.  Mr.  Morrow  ow^ied  a 
very  fine  horse,  and,  as  was  afterwards  learned, 
it  answ^ered,  at  a  distance,  very  well  the  de- 
scription of  the  one  stolen  in  Clay  county.  As 
soon  as  Mr.  Morrow  was  commanded  to  "halt," 
he  put  spurs  to  his  horse  and  rode  rapidly 
away.    He  was  pursued,  but  his  pursuers  were 


190      JOHN  AND  EGBERT  E.  YOUNGER. 

soon  left  far  in  the  rear.  John  and  Robert 
Younger  happened  to  be  in  the  neighborhood 
at  the  time,  and  a  friend  of  theirs  chanced  to 
meet  the  armed  mob,  ^^  lio  inquired  of  him  for 
certain  ones  of  the  Youngers,  at  the  same  time 
stating  that  one  of  the  Youngers  was  riding  a 
horse  that  had  been  stolen  in  Clay  county, 
Missouri,  and,  further,  that  they  were  out  on 
the  hunt  for  the  Youngers.  Learning  that  a 
party  was  in  search  of  them,  the  Youngers 
started  on  the  war  trail,  in  search  of  the  hunt- 
ing  party.  The  six  doubly  armed  men  extended 
their  search  as  far  as  Eoscoe,  also  in  St.  Clair 
county,  which  place  they  reached  on  the  Bioru- 
ing  of  the  8th  of  December,  1873.  Thej^  next 
scoured  the  Osage  hills,  going  in  the  direction 
of  Chalk  Level,  which  lies  northwest  of  the 
Monegaw  Springs,  but  after  traveling  the  Chalk 
Level  road  some  three  miles,  four  of  the  party 
filed  to  the  left,  in  the  direction  of  Monegaw 
Springs.  The  Younger  boys  being  in  search 
of  the  hunting  party  all  this  time,  at  length 
came  upon  and  cai)tured  the  four  at  Monega^w 
Springs. 

THEY  DISARM    THEIR   PURSUERS. 

The  Youngers,  after  disarming  their  prison- 
ers, took  them  to  the  Monegaw  Hotel  and  had 


JOHN  AND  EOBEKT  E.  YOUNGER.      191 

a  good  breaid'abL  prepared  for  tlieiii,  but  the 
poor  fellows  had  lost  their  appetites,  and  all, 
save  one,  ate  sparingly,  while  he,  poor  crea- 
ture, could  not  eat  anything — he  was  sick — sick 
at  heart,  and  longed  to  be  with  his  wife  and 
children.  After  breakfast  was  over  Eobert 
Younger  formed  the  prisoners  in  line  and  made 
them  a  speech,  the  substance  of  which  was  as 
follows : 

SPEECH    OF    ROBERT    YOUNGER. 

"  Now,  gentlemen,  we  have  3'ou  in  our  power,  and  can 
do  with  you  as  we  wish,  and  I  feel  satisfied  that  were 
our  positions  changed,  were  we  at  your  mercy,  beyond  a 
doubt  you  would  kill  both  of  us.  But  we  are  men — men 
possessing  too  much  brave  blood  to  be  guilty  of  such 
cruel  and  cowardly  butchery.  There  were  and  still  are 
certain  parties  whose  political  views  differed  from  ours 
at  the  breaking  out  of  the  late  war,  and  certain  men  of 
the  opposite  party  murdered  and  robbed  our  old  father, 
who  was  a  Union  man,  and  a  peaceable  and  quiet  citizen, 
all  for  the  sake  of  a  few  hundred  dollars.  The  most 
damnable  act  of  all,  however,  was  the  stripping  of  our 
widowed  mother  of  all  her  stock  and  provision  cf  every 
kind,  and  compelling  her  to  fire  her  own  house  witix  her 
own  bands,  destroying  all  the  clothing  of  herself  and 
little  children,  and  thus  turning  her  out,  penniless,  and 
without  sufficient  clothing,  upon  the  cold  charities  of 
the  world,  during  the  cold  blasts  of  winter,  the  snow  at 
the  time  six  inches  deep  on  the  ground.  She  was  thus 
compelled  to  call  upon  fiiends  and  strangers  for  assis- 


192      JOHN  AND  EGBERT  E.  YOUNGEE. 

tance — for  clothing  sufficient  to  keep  herself  and  child 
ren  from  freezing.  She  was  afterwards  driven  froi'i, 
place  to  place,  and  finalty  brought  to  an  untimely  grave, 
caused  by  exposure  and  the  wretched  and  inhuman 
treatment  she  received  at  the  hands  of  Jayhawkers  and 
Home  Guards,  under  the  sanction  of  the  Federal  author- 
ities. Humanity  shudders  at  the  thought.  What  think 
you,  gentlemen,  must  be  our  feelings  when  reflecting 
over  these  things?  Some  of  you,  if  not  all,  are  mem- 
bers of  that  same  political  party  which  perpetrated  these 
hellish  acts  of  cruelty,  not  only  on  oar  father  and  moth- 
er, but  on  hundreds  of  others.  And  you,  sirs,  are  still 
.Tying  to  implicate  me  and  my  brothers  in  every  species 
of  rascality  and  crime  committed  in  Missouri,  and  also 
in  other  States. 

"  Now,  gentlemen,  v.'e  set  you  at  liberty  ;  go  to  your 
homes  and  stay  there.  "We  want  to  stay  the  hand  of 
blood,  if  possible,  and  live  in  peace,  but  if  we  can't  be 
permitted  to  live  as  peaceable  citizens,  the  blame  will  rest 
upon  other  men's  shoulders,  not  upon  ours.  You  know 
that  my  brother  Cole  was  accused  of  being  one  of  the 
party  who  robbed  the  Iowa  railroad  train,  which  occurred 
July •21st,  1873.  At  that  time,  I  and  n)y  brother  Cole 
were  in  St.  Clair  county,  Missouri,  at  these  very  Springs, 
probably  in  this  very  hotel.  The  robbery  was  committed 
on  Monday  morning,  and  on  Sunday  morning  we  were 
down  in  the  bottom  and  attended  preaching.  This  we 
can  prove  by  some  of  the  best  citizens  of  the  county, 
and  by  the  minister  who  preached,  Rev.  Mr.  Smith,  of 
Greenton  Talley  Church,  Lafayette  county,  Missouri, 
who  was  here  at  the  time  on  a  visit.     After  it  was  dis- 


JOHN  AND  ROBERT  E.  YOUNGER.      193 

covered  that  we  could  prove  this  charge  false,  then  we 
were  accused  of  being  horse  thieves,  and  it  was  insisted 
that  we  had  been  stealing  horses.  We  can  prove  a  good 
title  to  every  horse  we  have  had  since  the  war,  and  yet 
the  damn  fool  party  who  differs  with  us  politically,  han 
called  upon  Governor  Woodson,  of  Missouri,  to  hunt  ua 
out  of  Si.  Clair  county,  and  the  State,  as  though  we 
were  a  band  of  thieves  and  robbers.  But  I  do  hope  that 
Governor  AVoodson  possesses  too  much  good  sense  and 
intelligence  to  believe  the  Radical  lies  told  by  men  whose 
hands  are  still  red  with  the  blood  of  our  dear  old  father, 
who  was  so  brutally  murdered.  These  scoundrels  en- 
deavor to  cover  up  their  own  damnable  acts  by  shouting 
'murder*  and  '  thief,'  at  the  backs  of  other  people.  And 
why  ?  They  would  rejoice  at  the  destruction  of  myself 
and  brothers,  simply  because  they  fear  vengeance  at  our 
hands,  a  just  retribution.  We  disclaim  any  such  inten- 
tion. All  we  ask,  all  we  pray  for,  is  to  be  left  alone,  to 
be  allowed  to  enjoy  ourselves  in  peace,  and  follgw  some 
useful  and  honorable  avocation.  The  war  has  long  since 
ceased,  and  as  we  know  and  believe  there  is  a  just  God, 
who  will  punish  all  wrong-doers,  with  him  we  are  willing 
to  let  the  matter  rest. 

"  Now  mount  your  horses,  gentlemen,  and  go  back  to 
Appleton  City,  and  stay  there.  We  don't  want  to  hurt 
any  of  you,  and  do  not,  by  your  rashness  and  folly,  compel 
us  to  kill  any  of  you,  for  the  task  is  an  unpleasant  one  ; 
but,  as  sure  as  there  is  a  God  in  Heaven,  if  we  will  not  be 
allowed  to  live  in  peace,  we  are  ready  to  sell  our  lives  as 
dearly  as  possible.  We  wish  you  a  safe  and  pleasant  journey 
home,  but  under  no  circumstances  must  you  come  back." 
u 


194      JAMES  H.  AND  JOHN  YOUNGER. 

At  the  conclusion  of  the  speech  of  Kobert 
Younger,  both  the  Youngers  shook  hands  with 
^he  party,  thus  proving  to  them  that  they  bore 
no  ill-will  towards  them.  The  hunting  party 
started  out  to  capture  the  Y^oungers,  dead  or 
alive,  if  they  could  overhaul  them,  and  their 
friends  were  coniident  that  such  would  be  the 
case.  Their  astonishment  can  be  better  im- 
agined than  described  when  they  returned  and 
the  fact  became  known  that  the  Youngers  had 
captured  them,  and  the  kind  treatment  they 
had  received  at  the  hands  of  their  captors. 
Tliis  circumstance  did  much  to  allay  the  feel- 
ing that  many  had  previously  entertained 
towards  the  Youngers. 


JAMES  H.  AND  JOHN  YOUNGEE. 


PURSUED   BY   SOLDIERS. 

In  July,  1873,  after  the  Iowa  railroad  robbery, 
some  of  the  Younger  boys  having  been  charged 
vdth  participation  in  the  affair,  an  armed  posse 
from  Iowa  and  elsewhere  arrived  at  Appleton 
City,  St.  Clair  county,  Mo.,  and  immediately 
went  to  work  to  procure  additional  recruits  to 
go  to  Monegaw  Springs  to  capture  the  Young- 


JAMES  H.  AND  JOHN  YOUNGER.      195 

ers.  By  the  time  tlie  party  started  in  pursuit 
tlieir  number  tallied  about  forty  men,  all  well 
armed,  and  supposed  to  be  brave  and  determined 
men,  who  knew  no  fear,  and  all  that  was  neces- 
sary was  merely  to  see  a  Younger,  and  he  was 
sure  to  be  their  prisoner,  dead  or  alive.  The 
party  divided  mto  squads  of  ten  each,  and  com- 
menced scouring  the  country  in  search  of  some- 
body, they  scarcely  knew  who,  but  as  the 
Youngers  had  a  bad  name,  they  were  sure  to 
suffer  if  any  of  them  could  be  found.  The 
whole  pretext  for  all  this  parade  of  armed  men 
in  St.  Clair  county,  was  caused  by  the  fact  of 
some  newspaper  having  asserted  that  it  was 
believed  that  some  of  the  Younger  boys  had  a 
hand  in  the  affair,  as  they  were  known  to  be 
brave  and  resolute  men,  fearing  no  danger. 

Jim  and  John  Younger  were  in  the  neighbor- 
hood of  the  Springs  at  the  time,  and  learning 
that  a  party  of  soldiers,  as  they  had  been  termed, 
were  on  the  hunt  for  them,  at  once  mounted 
their  horses  and  went  to  search  for  the  soldiers. 
They  finally  overhauled  seven  of  them  in 
the  road,  and  after  halting  them,  inquired  of 
them  if  they  were  on  the  hunt  for  Youngers. 
To  this  inquiry  one  of  the  men  replied,  '^  We 
are  on  the  hunt  for  certain  ones  of  the  Young- 
ers."    On  being  told  that  they  (Jim  and  John) 


196      JAMES  H.  AND  JOHN  YOUNGER. 

represented  the  whole  family,  and  that  their 
names  were  those  they  wanted,  and  that  they, 
the  soldiers,  should  take  them,  the  Youngers, 
if  they  could,  the  whole  seven  heavily  armed 
soldiers  commenced  scattering  through  the 
timber  in  every  direction.  The  Youngers  are 
dead  shots,  and  could  have  killed  every  one  of 
tliem  had  they  so  desired.  John  Brown  and 
his  party,  part  of  this  same  gang,  went  to  the 
house  of  an  old  black  man  living  near  Monegaw 
Springs,  and  seeing  a  black  mare  in  the  lot  near 
the  house,  which,  at  a  distance,  answered  the 
description  of  the  horse  they  were  told  Cole 
Younger  rode,  attempted  to  take  it,  whereupon 
the  old  black  woman  made  war  upon  them  and 
drove  them  out  of  the  lot,  asking  them  if  they 
did  not  know  a  mare  from  a  horse. 

AGAIN  PURSUED  TO  ST.  CLAIR  COUNTY. 

About  the  first  of  March,  a  train  on  the  Iron 
Mountain  Eailroad  was  flagged  and  robbed, 
and  in  a  day  or  two  afterwards  detectives  w^ere 
sent  to  St.  Clair  county,  Missouri,  where  the 
Youngers  were  si>aying,  to  hunt  them  up  and 
implicate  them  in  the  affair,  as  it  w:as  known 
that  James  and  John  were  then  staying  in  St. 
Clair  county.  One  of  the  Detectives,  who 
went  by  the  name  of  Wright,  but  whose  real 


JAMES  H.  AND  JOHN  YOUNGER.       197 

name  is  Boyle,  a  native  of  Maryland,  and  who 
had  been  in  the  Confederate  army  during  the 
war,  remained  in  and  around  Osceola  for  a  week 
or  ten  days  previous  to  the  raid  upon  the 
Youngers.  Boyle,  alias  Wright,  told  the  author 
of  this  book  himself  that  he  had  been  with  the 
Youngers,  James  and  John,  but  a  day  or  two 
previous,  at  Chalk  Level,  distant  from  Mone- 
gaw  Springs  five  miles.  The  termination  of 
the  affair  proved  that  Wright  was  not  alone  in 
this  matter,  but  that  one  of  Pinkerton's  Chi- 
cago Detectives,  and  one  of  his  very  best, 
shrewdest  and  bravest  men,  was  also  in  the 
county,  who  w^ent  by  the  name  of  Allen,  but 
whose  real  name  was  Lull.  During  the  stay  of 
Wright  in  Osceola  he  made  the  acquaintance 
of  a  young  man  of  the  town  named  Edwin  B. 
Daniels,  who  sometimes  acted  as  Deputy  Sheriff, 
a  man  of  considerable  nerve  and  courage,  highly 
respected  in  the  county,  and  who,  as  it  after- 
wards became*  known,  acted  as  a  guide,  and 
probably  agreed  to  help  capture  the  Y^oungers, 
he  being  well  acquainted  with  them,  and  was, 
doubtless,  promised  a  liberal  share  of  the 
reward  offered  for  their  capture. 

On  Monday  morning,  the  15th  of  March,  1874, 
Daniels  and  Wright  left  Osceola  for  Eoscoe,  as 
they  stated,  to  look  after  cattle.    Allen  joined 


198       JAMES  H.  AND  JOHN  YOUNGER. 

them  somewhere,  or  probably  left  Osceola  with 
them.  After  reaching  Eoscoe,  twelve  miles 
distant,  in  St.  Clair  comity,  the  three  men 
whiled  away  the  remainder  of  the  day  and  night 
in  the  town,  staying  all  night  in  the  Roscoe 
House.  Early  the  next  morning,  after  break- 
fast, they  all  left  Roscoe  and  went  in  the  direc- 
tion of  Chalk  Level,  the  road  to  which  passes 
the  house  of  Mr.  Theodrick  Snuffer,  one  of  the 
oldest  residents  in  the  county,  having  lived  where 
he  now  resides  about  forty  years,  and  whose 
character  and  standing  in  the  community  is  be- 
yond reproach.  Mr.  Snuffer  is  a  distant  rela- 
tive of  the  Youngers,  and  whether  the  boys  are 
guilty  of  any  crimes  or  not,  old  man  Snuffer 
does  not  believe  so,  but  thinks  that  their  perse- 
cution grew  out  of  the  fact  that  they  were 
what  is  generally  called  "Rebels."  Very  fre- 
quently when  the  boys  are  in  the  county  they 
stop  a  day  or  night  with  the  old  gentleman, 
who  is  very  old  and  feeble.  Wright,  being  a 
Marylander,  and  knowing  Mr.  L.  H.  Brown, 
residing  on  the  Chalk  Level  and  Roscoe  road, 
about  one  mile  from  Roscoe,  stopped  to  con- 
verse with  him,  while  Daniels  and  Allen  went 
on.  Wright  did  not  overtake  Allen  and  Dan- 
iels until  they  had  passed  the  house  of  Mr. 
Snuffer,  which  is  three  miles  north  of  Eoscoe. 


JAMES  H.  AND  JOHN  YOUNGER.       199 

Allen  and  Wright  stopped  at  tlie  fence  in  front 
of  Mr.  Snuffer's  house,  made  inquiry  about  the 
road  to  the  widow  Sims'  house  and  had  some 
little  conversation  with  old  man  Snuffer,  after 
which  they  rode  on,  but  did  not  take  the  road 
they  were  directed  to  travel.  James  and  John 
Younger  were  in  Mr.  Snuft'er's  house  at  the 
time  eating  dinner.  The  movements  of  the 
two  men  were  closely  watched  by  both  the 
Youngers,  without  being  discovered,  and  when 
it  w^as  observed  that  they  did  not  take  the  road 
they  were  directed  to  travel,  and  noticing  that 
Allen  and  his  horse  were  strangers  in  the  county, 
the  suspicions  of  the  Youngers  were  at  once 
aroused  and  a  consultation  was  had. 

THE   FIGHT  W^ITH   DETECTIVES. 

At  length  they  both  agreed  that  the  men 
were  detectives,  and  on  the  hunt  for  them,  so 
they  determined  to  mount  their  horses  and  fol- 
low them,  and,  if  possible,  ascertain  who  they 
were  and  what  their  business  was.  After  Allen 
and  Daniels  had  passed  the  house  about  two  or 
three  hundred  yards,  they  were  joined  by 
Wright,  who,  by  this  time,  had  overtaken  them. 
We  have  not  been  able  to  ascertain,  definitely, 
where  Daniels  and  the  two  detectives  were 
about  one  hour,  after  passing  the  house  of  Mr. 


200  JAMES   H.    A:ND   JOHN    YOUNGER. 

Snuffer,  as  about  that  time  elapsed  before  the 
Youngers  met  them  and  the  fight  commenced, 
but  the  circumstances  go  to  show  that  they 
were  at  a  negro  cabin,  near  by,  i)robably  trying 
to  get  some  information  about  the  Youngers. 

The  first  news  received  in  Osceola,  of  the 
fight,  was  brought  by  Wriglit,  who  said  he 
managed  to  escape,  but  thought  that  Allen  and 
Daniels  had  both  been  killed.  The  story  of 
Wright,  as  related  to  us  at  the  time,  agrees 
with  that  of  Allen  up  to  the  time  AYright  left, 
with  the  exception  that  he,  Wright,  says  he 
was  behind  Allen  and  Daniels,  instead  of  in 
front,  as  Allen  says  in  his  testimony  before  the 
Coroner's  Jury.  At  the  time  we  interviewed 
Allen  at  Roscoe,  we  mentioned  the  fact  to  him 
that  Wright  had  stated  to  us  that  he,  Wright, 
was  beliind  when  fired  on,  and  asked  him,  Ah 
len,  if  he  might  not  be  mistaken  in  this  matter, 
as  in  every  particular  their  testimony  agreed, 
up  to  the  time  Wright  left,  with  that  exception. 
Allen,  after  studying  a  moment,  said  he  might 
be  mistaken.  The  following  is  the  statement 
of  Mr.  Allen,  before  the  Coroner's  inquest: 

KILLING  OF  JOHN  YOUNGER  AND  ED.  DANIELS. 
W.  J.  Allen,   being  duly  sworn,  testified  as  follows: 
Yesterday  about  half-past  two  o'clock,  the  16th  of  March, 
1874,  E.  B.  Daniels  and  myself  were  riding  along  the 


JAMES  H.  AND  JOHN  YOUNGER.      201 

road  from  Roscoe  to  Chalk  Level,  which  road  runs  past 
the  house  of  one  Theodrick  Snuffer,  and  about  three 
miles  from  the  town  of  Roscoe,  and  in  St,  Clair  county, 
Missouri,  Daniels  and  myself  were  riding  side  by  side, 
and  Wright  a  short  distance  ahead  of  us;  some  noise 
behind  us  attracted  our  attention,  and  we  looked  back 
and  saw  two  men  on  horseback  coming  towards  us,  and 
one  was  armed  with  a  double-barrel  shotgun,  the 
other  with  revolvers;  don't  know  if  the  other  had  a 
shot-gun  or  not ;  the  one  had  the  shotgun  cocked,  both 
barrels,  and  ordered  us  to  halt;  Wright  drew  his  pistol 
and  put  spurs  to  his  horse  and  rode  off ;  they  ordered 
him  to  halt,  and  shot  at  him  and  shot  off  his  hat,  but  he 
kept  on  riding.  Daniels  and  myself  stopped.,  standing 
across  the  road  on  our  horses;  they  rode  up  to  us,  and 
ordered  us  to  take  off  our  pistols  and  drop  them  in  the 
road,  the  one  with  the  gun  covering  me  all  the  time  with 
the  gun.  We  dropped  our  pistols  on  the  ground,  and 
one  of  the  men  told  the  other  to  follow  Wright  and  bring 
him  back,  but  he  refused  to  go,  saying  he  would  stay 
with  him;  one  of  the  men  picked  up  the  revolvers  we 
had  dropped,  and  looking  at  them,  remarked  they  were 
damn  fine  pistols,  and  they  must  make  them  a  present  of 
them ;  one  of  them  asked  me  where  we  came  from,  and  I 
said  Osceola ;  he  then  wanted  to  know  what  we  were  do- 
ing in  this  part  of  the  country;  I  replied,  rambling 
around.  One  of  them  then  said,  you  were  up  here  one 
day  before ;  I  replied  that  we  were  not ;  he  then  said  we 
had  been  at  the  Springs;  I  replied,  w^e  had  been  at  the 
Springs,  but  had  not  been  inquiring  for  them,  that  we  did 
not  know  them,   and  they  said  detectives  had  been  up 


202      JAMES  H.  AND  JOHN  YOUNGEE. 

there  hunting  for  them  all  the  time,  and  they  were  going 
to  stop  it.  Daniels  then  said,  I  am  no  detective ;  I  can 
show  you  who  I  am  and  where  I  belong;  and  one  of  them 
said  he  knew  him,  and  then  turned  to  me  and  said,  what 
in  the  hell  are  you  riding  around  here  with  all  them  pis- 
tols on  for  ?  and  I  'said,  good  God !  is  not  every  man 
wearing  them  that  is  traveling,  and  have  I  not  as  much 
right  to  wear  them  as  any  one  else  ?  and  the  one  that  had 
the  shot-gun  said,  hold  on,  young  man,  we  don't  want 
any  of  that,  and  then  lowered  the  gun,  cocked,  in  a 
threatening  manner;  then  Daniels  had  some  talk  with 
them,  and  one  of  them  got  off  his  horse  and  picked  up 
the  pistols  ;  two  of  them  were  mine  and  one  was  Dan- 
iels' ;  the  one  mounted  had  the  gun  drawn  on  me,  and  I 
concluded  that  they  intended  to  kill  us.  I  reached  my 
hand  behind  me  and  drew  a  No.  2  Smith  &  Wesson  pistol 
and  cocked  it  and  fired  at  the  one  on  horseback,  and  my 
horse  frightened  at  the  report  of  the  pistol  and  turned  to 
run,  and  I  heard  two  shots  and  my  left  arm  fell,  and  then 
I  had  no  control  over  my  horse,  and  he  jumped  into  the 
bushes  and  the  trees  checked  his  speed,  and  I  tried  to 
get  hold  of  the  rein  with  my  right  hand,  to  bring  him 
into  the  road;  one  of  the  men  rode  by  me  and  fired  two 
shots  at  me,  one  of  which  took  effect  in  my  left  side,  and 
I  lost  all  control  of  my  horse  and  he  turned  into  the 
brush,  and  a  small  tree  struck  me  and  knocked  me  out 
of  the  saddle.  I  then  got  up  and  staggered  across  the 
road  and  lay  down  until  I  was  found.  No  one  else  was 
present.  AV.  J.  Allen. 

Subscribed  and  sworn  to,  before  me,  this  18th  day  of 
March,  1874.  James  St.  Clair. 


JAMES  H.  AND  JOHN  YOUNGEK.      203 

James  Younger,  however,  gives  quite  a  dif- 
ferent version  of  the  commencement  of  the 
shooting,  as  told  by  him  to  old  man  Snuffer,  a 
few  moments  after\yards,  and  also  the  same 
evening,  to  an  intimate  friend  of  his,  who  hap- 
pened to  fall  in  with  him  before  he,  James 
Younger,  left  the  country.  James  says  that 
after  leaving  the  house  of  Mr.  Snuffer  they 
took  the  near  cut,  coming  out  on  the  Chalk 
Level  road  about  half  a  mile  from  the  house, 
and  as  they  came  to  a  turn  in  the  road  they 
met  the  three  men,  apparently  coming  down 
from  the  negro  house.  He  says  they  were 
about  passing  them,  and  had  "bid  them  the 
time  of  the  day,''  when  the  man  on  the  white 
horse,  which  was  Allen,  drew  his  revolver  and 
shot  John  Y^ounger  in  the  neck,  and  that  im- 
mediately afterwards  Daniels  drew  his  revolver 
and  fired  at  him,  Jim  Younger,  and  that  he 
threw  himself  on  the  right  side  of  his  horse  to 
aA^oid  the  shot  taking  effect  in  his  body,  and 
that  in  so  doing  he  fell  from  his  horse,  and  that 
his  horse  became  frightened  and  got  away  from 
him.  Jim  Y^ounger  also  asserts  that  John  fired 
at  the  man  on  the  white  horse  with  his  double- 
barrel  shotgun  as  soon  as  x^llen  shot  him,  and 
then  drew  his  revolver,  dropping  the  gun,  and 
shot  Ed.  Daniels,  and  then  went  in  pursuit  of 


204       JAMES  H.  AND  JOHN  YOUNGER. 

Allen,  who  was  fleeing  through  the  timber, 
shooting  him,  Allen,  several  times,  until  he, 
John  Younger,  fell   dead  from  his  horse. 

The  following  additional  evidence  was  taken 
at  the  coroner's  inquest: 

"I  heard  a  shot  a  couple  of  hundred  yards  from  my 
house,  and  I  found  out  after  the  first  shot  that  it  was 
John  and  James  Younger  ;  after  the  first  shot  they 
ceased  firing  for  some  time,  and  then  commenced  again, 
but  I  had  not  seen  any  of  the  parties  ;  but  after  several 
shots  had  been  fired,  another  man,  who  I  did  not-  know, 
come  down  the  road,  and  I  think  they  were  both  shoot- 
ing at  one  another  ;  I  am  certain  that  John  Younger  was 
shooting  at  the  other  man  ;  he  continued  to  run  down 
the  road  east  of  here  ;  I  think  Younger  passed  the  man 
on  the  gray  horse  ;  about  the  time  John  Younger  passed 
him  I  saw  him  sink  on  his  horse,  as  if  going  to  fall ; 
don't  know  what  become  of  him  afterwards  ;  then 
Younger  turned  to  come  west  and  began  to  sink,  and 
then  fell  oflf  his  horse  ;  then  James  Younger  come  down 
by  here  on  foot,  to  where  John  Younger  was  lying,  and 
the  horse  that  John  Younger  was  riding,  and  that  was 
the  last  I  saw  of  James  Younger. 

John  McFarren. 
Subscribed  and  sworn   to  before  me,   this   18th  da}^  of 

March,  1874.  J.oies  St.  Clair,  J.  P. 

The  testimony  of  John  R,  McFairen  was  cor- 
roborative of  that  of  John  McFarren,  both  of 
whom  were  together. 


JAMES   H.    AND    JOHN    VoL'Nc.iER.  205 

Two  men  came  to  my  house  and  inquired  the  way  to 
Mrs.  Sims';  the  third  man  came  along  afterwards  and 
overtook  them  ;  the  two  Youngers,  John  and  James,  af- 
ter they  had  passed,  followed  them  ;  I  saw  James 
Younger  after  the  tight  ;  he  told  me  that  John  Younger 
was  dead  ;  that  they  had  killed  one  of  the  men  and  that 
one  other  had  been  wounded,  Allen  ;  that  Allen  had  a 
pistol  secreted  and  fired  the  first  shot. 

Theodrick  Snuffer. 
Subscribed  and  sworn  to  before  me,  this  18th  day   of 

March,  1874.  James  St.  Clair,  J.  P. 

John  Younger  fell  from  his  horse  ;  James  Younger 
came  running  up  to  where  John  had  fallen  and  called  me 
to  him  ;  he  then  turned  him  (John  Younger)  over  and 
took  some  revolvers  ofi  of  him  and  a  watch  and  some- 
thing else  out  of  his  pockets  ;  I  do  not  know  what  else  ; 
I  saw  John  Younger  and  another  man  shooting  at  each 
other,  when  the  first  firing  commenced  ;  I  think  James 
Younger  took  four  revolvers  oft  of  John  Younger,  his 
brother  ;  he  threw  one  over  the  fence  and  told  me  to 
keep  it ;  he  then  told  me  to  catch  a  horse  and  go  down 
and  tell  Snuffer's  folks.  G.  W.  McDonald. 

Sworn  to  and  subscribed  before  me,  this  18th  day  of 

March,  1874.  James  St.  Clair,  J.  P. 

All  we  know  concerning  the  death  of  the  two  men,  be- 
ing the  same  that  the  inquest  is  being  held  over,  is  that 
the  one,  John  Younger,  come  to  his  death  from  the  ef- 
fects of  a  gun-shot  wound,  which  entered  the  right  side 
of  his  neck,  touching  the  clavical  bone,  on  the  upper 
side,  and  about  two  inches  from  the  meridian,  went 
nearly  straight   through  the   neck ;  the  oiifice  is  small, 


206      JAMES  H.  AND  JOHN  YOUNGER. 

indicating  that  he  was  shot  with  a  small  ball.  The  other 
man,  Edwin  B.  Daniels,  came  to  his  death  from  the  ef- 
fects of  a  gunshot  wound,  which  entered  the  left  side  of 
the  neck,  about  one  inch  from  the  meridian  line,  and 
about  midway  of  the  neck,  opposite  the  oesophagus,  and 
as  per  examination,  went  nearly  straight  through  the 
neck,  striking  the  bone  ;  the  orifice  was  pretty  large,  in- 
dicating that  the  ball  was  of  a  pretty  large  size. 

A.  C.  Marquis,  INI.  D. 

L.  Lewis,  M.  D. 
Subscribed  and   sworn  to  before  me,  this  18th    day  of 
March,  1874.  James  St.  Clair,  J.  P. 

The  following  names  comprise  the  Coroner's 
jury,  with  A.  Ray  as  foreman :  A.  Bay,  G.  W. 
Cox,  J.  Davis,  W.  Holmes,  E.  C.  Gill  and  H. 
Gleason. 

The  verdict  of  the  jury  was  as  follows: 

We,  the  jury,  find  that  John  Younger  came  to  his 
death  by  a  pistol  shot,  supposed  to  have  been  in  the 
hands  of  W.  J.  Allen.  A.  Ray,  Foreman. 

We,  the  jury,  find  that  Ed.  B.  Daniels  came  to  his 
death  by  a  pistol  shot,  supposed  to  have  been  fired  by 
the  hand  of  James  Younger.  A.  Ray,  Foreman. 

We  have  given  all  the  evidence  procurable  in 
the  case,  of  both  parties,  in  order  that  the  pub- 
lic might  judge  for  themselves  and  form  their 
own  conclusion. 

James  Younger  received  a  flesh  wound  in 
the  left  side,  above  the  hip,  supposed  to  have 


JAMES  H.  AND  JOHN  YOUNGER.       207 

been  done  by  Ed.  Daniels.  Jolni  Younger  was 
bnried  at  a  family  burying  ground,  on  the  Os- 
ceola and  Chalk  Level  road,  about  three  miles 
west  of  Osceola.  The  body  of  Ed.  Daniels 
was  taken  charge  of  by  friends  and  brought  to 
Osceola,  where  it  was  decently  interred,  in  the 
Osceola  (Cemetery,  and  his  remains  were  fol- 
lowed to  their  last  resting  place  by  almost  the 
entire  community,  who  universally  respected 
the  deceased.  Capt.  Lull,  alias  Allen,  suffered 
for  about  six  weeks  before  he  died.  During 
his  sickness  he  was  at  the  Roscoe  House,  Ros- 
coe,  where  every  attention  was  given  him,  and 
he  had  the  best  medical  attendance  in  the 
county,  if  not  in  Southwest  Missouri,  having 
been  attended  by  Dr.  D.  C.  McNeil,  of  Os- 
ceola, an  old  and  experienced  army  surgeon. 
In  his  last  moments  he  was  surrounded  by  his 
wife  and  brother,  who  came  on  to  Roscoe  from 
Chicago.  His  remains  were  placed  in  a  me- 
talic  cofhn  and  taken  to  Chicago,  where  he  was 
buried  with  Masonic  honors.  This  sad  and 
fatal  occurrence  cast  a  gloom  over  the  entire 
county,  all  regretting  that  the  detectives  had 
paid  the  county  a  visit,  as  it  was  well  known  to 
many  that  both  James  and  John  Younger  were 
^in  the  county  at  the  time  the  railroad  train  wa^ 
flagged  and  robbed. 


208    COl.E,  JAMEH  AND  ROBERT  YOUNGER. 

COLEMAN,  JAMES  AND  ROBEKT 
YOUNGER. 


After  the  figlit  between  the  Chicago  Detec- 
tives, near  the  farm  of  Mr.  Tlieodrick  Snuffer, 
St.  Claircounty,  Missouri,  and  John  and  James 
Younger,  and  John  was  killed,  in  March,  1874, 
James  Younger  went  to  Boone  county,  Ar- 
kansas. 

In  June,  1874,  Cole  Y^'ounger,  who  was  then 
in  Mississippi,  Robert  being  Avith  him,  hap- 
pened to  get  hold  of  a  newspaper  containing  an 
account  of  the  battle  and  the  death  of  John 
Younger.  Cole  and  Robert  immediately  there- 
after mounted  their  horses  and  struck  out 
through  the  country  for  Arkansas,  with  the 
hope  of  finling  James  in  Boone  county,  at  the 
house  of  a  friend,  a  place  he  and  they  were  in 
the  habit  of  visiting,  and  learning  all  the  par- 
ticulars of  the  fight,  the  death  of  John,  etc. 
They  at  length  reached  the  place  of  their  desti- 
nation, and  were  not  disappointed  in  their  ex- 
pectations, as  they  found  James,  who  narrated 
to  them  all  the  circumstances  attending  the 
battle,  as  well  as  the  death  and  burial  of  Jolni. 

A    NIGHT    ATTACK. 

After  remaining  here  a  few  days,  one  night 
Cole  and  Bob  went  to  the  house  of  a  neighbor 


COLE,  JAMKS  AND  KOBERT  YOUNGER.    209 

leaving  James  at  the  house  of  their  friend. 
About  the  break  of  day  the  next  morning  firing 
was  heard  in  the  direction  of  the  house  at  which 
James  was  stopping,  which  they  had  left  the 
evening  previous.  At  the  time  they  were  at  a 
loss  to  know  the  cause,  but  at  once  proceeded 
to  mount  their  horses  and  ride  over  to  the 
house,  arriving  only  in  time  to  get  a  glimpse  of 
the  retreating  party.  It  was  afterwards  learned 
that  some  horses  had  been  stolen  in  the  neigh- 
borhood a  day  or  two  previous,  and  as  some 
strange  men  were  seen  going  to  the  house,  sus- 
picion rested  upon  them  in  the  minds  of  the 
citizens,  which  led  to  the  attack  upon  the  house. 
James  at  once  became  alarmed  at  seeing  a  mob 
around  the  house  at  such  an  early  hour  in  the 
morning.  He  slipped  up  stairs, and  going  to  the 
window  to  ascertain,  if  possible,  the  cause  of 
the  trouble,  he  was  at  once  fired  upon  by  those 
in  front  of  the  house.  He  immediately  returned 
the  fire,  killing  one  man,  and  wounding  another. 
After  this  the  mob  fled. 

ATTACKED    WHILE    WATERING    THEIR   HORSES. 

The  Younger  Brothers,  after  this  fracas, 
mounted  their  horses  and  started  for  the  home 
of  a  friend,  hving  south  of  the  Arkansas  river. 
On  the  second  day,  while  watering  their  horses 

N 


210    COLE J  JAMES  AND  ROBEKT  YOUNGER. 

at  a  creek,  a  party  of  twelve  men  rode  up  in 
sight  of  them  and  commenced  firing  on  them. 
They  at  once  returned  the  fire.  Cole's  horse 
was  shot  dead  mider  him,  but,  after  dismount- 
ing, he  kei^t  up  a  lire  on  the  enemy  on  foot 
until  the  pursuing  party  fled.  None  of  the 
boys  w^ere  wounded  in  this  engagement,  al- 
though several  of  the  pursuing  party  were. 

ANOTHER   ATTACK. 

The  boys  then  continued  to  proceed  on 
towards  their  destination.  Cole  purchased  a 
horse  the  next  morning.  They  crossed  the 
Arkansas  Eiver  at  Eoseville,  twenty-five  miles 
below  Van  Buren.  After  they  had  crossed  the 
river  a  short  distance,  on  the  Thoroughfare 
road,  they  chanced  to  meet  an  old  Confederate 
friend  of  Cole's,  on  his  way  to  Louisiana. 
After  proceeding  on  their  journey  some  dis- 
tance, the  party  stopped  in  a  ravine,  and  Jim 
and  Bob  went  up  the  ravine  to  a  spring.  It 
seems  that  horse  stealing  had  been  going  on  in 
this  section  also,  a  few  days  previous,  and  the 
excitement  was  up  to  fever  heat,  and  that  par- 
ties w^ere  scouring  the  country  in  almost  every 
direction  Cole  and  his  friend  were  sitting  on 
their  horses  talking  of  war  times,  and  w^aiting 
for  Jim  and  Robert  to  return.     Cole  happened 


211 

to  look  back  on  tlie  road,  aud  lie  discovered 
some  twenty-live  or  thirty  armed  men  coming 
towards  them  at  a  rapid  rate.  About  the  time 
he  discovered  the  advancing  party  they  also 
observed  him,  and  at  once  commenced  increas- 
ing the  speed  of  their  horses.  When  they  had 
approached  within  about  one  hundred  yards, 
they  at  once  opened  fire,  wdiich  was  returned 
by  Cole  Younger  and  his  friend,  without  their 
knowing  the  cause.  The  fight  was  hotly  con- 
tested for  several  moments.  Five  of  the  attack- 
ing party  were  killed  during  the  fight  and  several 
wounded,  but  those  wdio  were  wounded  were 
taken  off  wdien  they  retreated.  Cole  w^as  shot 
in  the  right  knee  with  buckshot,  and  his  horse 
w^as  also  badly  wounded.  Jim  and  Bob  returned 
about  the  time  the  fight  commenced,  and  took 
an  active  part  in  the  engagement,  firing  on  the 
enemy's  right  wing.  Cole's  horse,  after  being 
wounded,  dashed  through  the  timber,  and  his 
head  struck  against  a  tree,  which  blinded  him 
for  a  moment.  Neither  of  the  other  Younger's 
nor  Cole's  friend  were  harmed. 

After  the  enemy  had  retreated,  the  boys  and 
their  friend  proceeded  on  their  journey  towards 
the  place  of  their  destination.  They  had  not 
proceeded  far,  however,  before  Cole's  horse, 
Avhich  had  been  wounded,  gave  out,  and  they 


212 

were  compelled  to  leave  him  on  the  road.  Jim 
then  dismomited  and  gave  Cole  his  horse,  walk- 
ing with  the  party,  until  they  could  purchase 
another  horse,  Avhich  they  succeeded  in  doing 
the  next  day. 

THEY   RETUKN    TO    MISSOURI. 

They  then  determined  to  go  to  Missouri,  to 
the  house  of  a  friend,  where  Cole  could  have 
his  wound  attended  to.  They  recrossed  the 
Arkansas  Eiver  near  Dardanelle,  their  friend 
proceeding  on  his  journey  to  Louisiana.  It 
was  then  determined  to  separate,  Jim  and  Bob 
going  one  route  and  Cole  another,  agreeing  to 
meet  in  Fulton  county,  Arkansas,  at  the  house 
of  a  friend.  The  separation  was  agreed  upon 
under  the  belief  that  they  might  be  pursued, 
and  it  w^as  thought  best  for  Cole  to  go  alone,  in 
his  wounded  condition,  thus  lessening  the  pro- 
babihty,  as  they  thought,  of  his  being  followed. 
Their  surmises  proved  correct,  as  the  sequel 
proved. 

JAMES  AND  ROBERT  PURSUED. 

While  Jim  and  Bob  were  in  the  eastern  part 
of  Marion  county,  Arkansas,  stopping  for  din- 
ner, their  horses  grazing,  Jim  was  lying  down 
on  the  grass,  asleep,  while  Bob  was  sitting 
under  the  tree  whittling,  he  heard  some   one 


JAMES   ANI>   JU)HKRT    YuUN(JEU.  213 

sing  out,  "  surrender,  you  damn  thieves,"  and 
looking  up,  saw  two  men  at  the  yard  gate,  some 
forty  yards  distant,  with  guns  in  their  hands ; 
one  of  the  men  standing  directly  in  front  of  the 
gate,  wdiile  the  other  was  standing  a  few  feet 
to  the  right,  at  the  side  of  a  wagon.  The  call 
awoke  Jim  and  he  sprang  to  his  feet.  As  he 
rose  both  men  at  the  yard  fence  fired,  one  of 
their  shots  taking  effect  in  the  neck  of  Jim. 
Almost  at  the  same  time  Bob  fired  at  the  man 
by  the  side  of  the  wagon,  shooting  him  through 
the  chest.  Seeing  other  men  coming  towards 
the  house,  Bob  and  Jim  made  for  the  brush, 
leaving  their  horses  in  the  pasture.  Before 
reaching  the  brush  they  were  further  pursued 
and  fired  upon,  another  ball  striking  Jim  in  the 
right  hip,  passing  through,  and  coming  out  at 
the  lower  part  of  the  abdomen.  Notwithstand- 
ing the  two  dangerous  wounds  Jim  had  received, 
he  continued  to  flee  and  finally  gained  the 
bi:ush,  wdiere  they  were  able  to  elude  their  pur- 
suers, who  gave  up  the  chase  and  turned  their 
attention  to  their  dead  companion  and  the  cap- 
tured horses.  Bliortly  after  gaining  the  brush 
Jim  fainted  from  loss  of  blood,  but  his  brother 
Bob  helped  and  urged  liim  on  to  where  they 
could  procure  water  with  which  to  bathe  and 
di'ess  his  w^ounds. 


214  JAMES   AND   ROBERT   YOUNGER. 

This  single  circumstance  is  one  of  many 
which  goes  to  show  the  pluck  and  determina- 
tion of  the  Younger s,  a  characteristic  of  all  of 
them,  as  none  hut  an  extraordinary  man  could 
have  stood  up  and  traveled  about  one  mile  be- 
fore water  was  reached.  On  the  route  Jim 
fainted  five  or  six  times.  After  reaching  water 
Bob  took  the  shirt  from  his  person,  bathed  and 
dressed  the  wounds  of  his  brother,  and  then 
the  two  proceeded  on  their  journey  during  the 
whole  night,  being  guided  by  the  stars  as  best 
they  could.  About  an  hour  before  sunrise  the 
next  morning  they  neared  a  large  farm  house, 
and  Bob  at  once  determined  to  secrete  Jim  in 
the  brush  and*  endeavor  to  purchase  horses 
as  soon  as  work  was  commenced  on  the  farm. 

TWO  HORSES  PRESSED  INTO  SERVICE. 

After  the  lapse  of  about  one  hour,  two  young 
men  were  seen  coming  into  a  field  to  plow. 
Bob  crossed  over  to  where  the  nearest  one  to 
him  was, -and  after  bidding  him  the  time  of 
day,  asked  him  if  his  father  was  at  home,  &g., 
and  learning  that  the  old  gentleman  was  out 
after  horsethieves,  about  six  miles  distant,  the 
place  at  which  the  fight  took  place  the  after- 
noon previous,  told  the  young  man  that  he 
wanted  to  buy  his  mare,  (she  having  a  colt,) 


JAMES  AND  ROBERT  YOUNGER.       215 

and  that  he  would  give  liim  all  she  was  worth 
and  allow  him  to  keep  the  colt.  The  boy  said 
he  would  see  his  brother,  and  the  two  went 
over  to  where  the  other  young  man  was,  and 
lie  was  made  acquainted  with  the  facts  and 
also  told  that  he  could  sell  his  horse  on  the 
same  terms.  The  boy  at  once  flew  into  a  rage, 
telling  his  brother  to  go  to  the  house  and  get 
the  gun,  and  they  would  shoot  the  damn  thief. 
Younger  insisted  that  he  did  not  want  to  steal 
the  horses,  but  would  pay  him  the  money  for 
both,  but  the  boy  was  not  to  be  argued  into  selhng 
them,  and  insisted  on  his  brother  going  to  the 
house  for  the  gun  to  shoot  the  thief.  Younger 
seeing  that  words  and  money  were  of  no  avail, 
and  considering  the  helplessness  of  his  brother, 
determined  to  have  the  horses  at  all  hazards, 
so  he  drew  his  pistol  and  told  both  boys  to  un- 
harness the  liorses  and  follow  him,  which  they 
at  once  proceeded  to  do.  They  then  went  to 
where  Jim  was  lying,  and  Bob  made  the  boys 
help  him  on  one  of  the  horses,  and  he.  Bob, 
mounted  the  other.  He  then  again  offered  the 
boys  pay  for  the  horses,  but  they  refused  to 
take  it,  when  he  ordered  them  to  go  straight 
home,  and  he  and  Jim  got  on  the  main  road 
and  proceeded  to  w^here  they  had  promised  to 
meet  Cole,  Bob  telling  Jim  to  keep  in  the  lead 


210       JAMES  AND  ROBERT  YOUNGER. 

and  he  would  bring  up  the  rear  and  protect  him, 
and  to  make  the  best  time  he  could,  as  it  was 
necessary  that  they  should  get  out  of  that 
country  as  quick  as  possible. 

ANOTHER  FIGHT  WITH  THEIR   PURSUERS. 

After  traveling  about  fifteen  miles  a  party  of 
armed  men  overtook  them  and  at  once  com- 
menced firing.  A  running  fight  continued  for 
some  time.  Bob  returning  the  fire,  he  having 
Jim's  pistol  as  well  as  his  own.  Bob  succeeded 
in  killing  one  man  and  wounding  another. 
During  the  fight  Bob  felt  great  anxiety  for 
Jim's  safety,  and  while  leaning  forward  on  his 
horse  and  urging  Jim  to  retreat  as  fast  as  pos- 
sible, a  ball  from  one  of  the  guns  of  the  pur- 
suing party  struck  him  under  the  left  shoulder 
blade,  coming  out  on  top  of  the  shoulder.  The 
pursuers  at  length  gave  up  the  chase  and  cared 
for  their  dead  and  wounded.  About  dusk  that 
evening  they  arrived  at  the  house  of  their 
friend,  where  they  had  promised  to  meet  Cole, 
and  they  found  him  there,  his  wound  having 
greatly  improved.  All  three  of  the  boys  were 
now  badly  wounded,  and  they  took  to  the 
brush,  a  short  distance  from  the  house,  where 
a  sort  of  hospital  was  erected,  and  Cole  acted 
as  surgeon,  dressing  the  wounds  and  otherwise 


JAMES  AND  ROBERT  YOUNGER.       217 

caring  for  the  maimed.  Cole  being  less  dis- 
abled than  either  of  the  other  boys,  that  night 
took  both  of  the  mares  which  had  been  pressed 
from  the  boys  in  the  morning  out  on  the  road 
some  fifteen  miles  and  turned  them  loose, 
thinking  they  would  return  to  their  homes  and 
colts.  As  was  afterwards  learned,  they  both 
went  straight  home. 

ANOTHER  NIGHT  ATTACK. 

Horse  stealing  is  a  very  common  thing  in 
that  whole  region  of  country,  and  the  neigh- 
borhood in  which  the  boys  were  now  stopping 
had  suffered  in  this  line  but  a  day  or  two  pre- 
vious and  parties  were  then  on  the  hunt  for 
stolen  horses  and  horse-thieves.  The  second 
night  after  their  arriving  at  the  house  of  their 
friend,  who,  by  the  way,  had  not  long  resided 
there,  having  moved  from  Missouri,  a  party  on 
the  hunt  surrounded  the  house  and  used  some 
harsh  language  towards  the  occupant,  branding 
all  Missourians  as  horse-thieves,  and  at  length 
fired  into  the  windows.  The  occupant  of  the 
house  at  once  returned  the  fire,  killing  one,  and 
then  fled  to  where  the  boys  were.  It  was  af- 
terwards learned  that  he  had  killed  one  of  his 
nearest  neighbors,  but,  though  regretting  it, 
felt  conscious  that  the  fault  was  clearly  with 
the  deceased. 


21S        THE  YOUNGERS  GENERALLY. 

Matters  again  assumed  rather  too  lively  an 
appearance  for  them,  and  the  boys  and  their 
friend  left  for  the  residence  of  an  acquaintance 
in  the  Choctaw  Nation,  after  procuring  horses, 
the  Younger  boys  being  in  a  very  feeble  condi- 
tion. After  reaching  the  Nation  they  traded  a 
horse  for  a  spring  wagon,  and  then  went  to 
Western  .Texas,  remaining  there  until  their 
wounds  were  all  healed  up.  They  reached 
Western  Texas  in  the  month  of  July,  1874. 
Thus  it  will  be  seen  that  for  about  one  month 
previous  to  their  reaching  Western  Texas,  it 
was  one  continued  series  of  engagements  with 
much  superior  numbers,  and  during  this  time  a 
number  of  men  were  killed  and  many  wounded, 
the  Younger  boys  themselves  receiving  such 
wounds  aB  but  few  men  could  bear  up  imder, 
much  less  endure  the  hardships  and  privations 
which  fell  to  their  lot. 


THE  YOUNGERS  GENERALLY. 


The  Youngers  went  home  after  the  surrender 
of  the  Southern  Armies,  and  tried  to  live  at 
peace  with  their  old  neighbors  and  friends. 
They  were  residents  of  Jackson  co 


THE  YOUNGERS  GENERALLY.       219 

souri,  and  for  months  it  was  a  question  whether 
this  county  would  he  held  altogether  hy  the 
Kansas  people,  or  o^o  hack  to  Missouri.  The 
county  was  in  a  state  of  anarchy.  A  vigilance 
committee  went  one  night  to  the  home  of  the 
Youngers,  surrounded  the  house,  attacked  the 
female  memhers,  hut  found  none  of  the  men  at 
home.  Again  and  again  this  was  done.  Threats 
were  made  of  certain  death  if  any  of  them  were 
caught,  and  word  was  sent  them  that  thej^ 
should  not  remain  in  the  county.  They  were 
waylaid,  and  hunted  down  in  every  conceivable 
manner.  They  were  compelled  to  protect 
themselves  in  the  best  possible  manner,  to  go 
heavily  armed,  and  thus  were  forced  to  assume 
the  character  of  outlaws.  Other  and  bad  men 
took  advantage  of  this  condition  of  affairs  to 
pillage  and  murder  in  their  names.  Every  high- 
way robbery  in  the  West,  especially  if  there 
was  about  it  a  deed  of  boldness  and  dash,  was 
placed  to  their  account,  almost  without  know- 
ing why,  and  suddenly  these  proscribed  men 
were  niadeboth  famous  and  infamous. 

Propositions  were  made  to  both  Governors 
McClurg  and  Woodson,  only  asking  protection 
from  mob-violence  as  the  sole  condition  of  a 
surrender.  Neither  of  the  Governors  gave  the 
required  guarantee,  and  so  nothing  came  of 


220        THE  YOUNGERS  GENERALLY. 

the  efforts  made,  in  good  faith,  to  be  once  more 
at  peace  with  society  and  the  law.  There  was 
abimdant  reason  why  these  men  should  not 
surrender  unless  the  guarantee  of  protection 
was  given,  for  men  who  had  served  in  the  same 
guerrilla  band  had  been  taken  out  at  night 
from  their  i^laces  of  imj^risonment  and  hung  by 
masked  and  unknown  men.  Tom  Little  was 
hung  at  Warrensburg,  Johnson  county;  Mc- 
Guire  and  Devon  were  hung  at  Richmond,  Ray 
county;  Arch.  Clemens  was  shot  in  Lexington, 
Lafayette  county;  Al.  Shepherd  and  Payne 
Jones  were  shot  in  Jackson  county;  in  the 
same  county  Dick  Burns  was  surprised,  while 
asleep,  and  murdered.  Many  of  Quantrell's 
men  had  to  flee  the  countrj^;  many  were  hung 
and  shot  in  other  places.  For  months  after 
hostilities  had  ceased,  predatory  and  blood- 
thirsty bands,  under  the  guise  of  vigilance 
committees,  swept  over  the  border  counties, 
making  quick  work  of  Confederate  guerrillas 
wherever  they  could  be  found. 

For  all  crimes  committed  during  the  war  the 
Congress  of  the  United  States  had  absolved 
the  Federal  soldiers.  By  a  special  law,  Kan- 
sas granted  absolution  to  all  who  had  killed, 
robbed,  burned  or  plundered,  and  held  the 
militia  free  from  any  trial  or  prosecution  for 


THE  YOUNGERS  GENERALLY.        221 

deeds  done  or  crimes  committed  during  the 
war.  The  present  Constitution  of  Missouri 
provides  that  no  person  shall  be  prosecuted  in 
any  civil  action  or  criminal  proceeding  for,  or 
on  account  of  any  act  by  him  done,  performed, 
or  executed  after  January  1st,  1861,  by  virtue  of 
military  authority.  Happening  to  be  on  the 
wrong  side,  however,  these  men  are  cut  off 
from  the  benefits  of  all  such  amnesties  or  pro- 
tective acts,  and  are  outlaws  simply  because 
they  were  forced  into  an  attitude  of  resistence 
in  that  transition  period  in  Missouri  when  the 
very  worst  element  of  the  population  were 
gratifying  their  private  feuds  and  vengeance. 
It  has  long  since  been  an  established  fact  that 
the  Youngers  cannot  be  taken  alive  by  force, 
and  all  hopes  of  doing  so  by  those  who  imagine 
they  can  capture  them,  to  the  mind  of  every 
man  in  the  least  acquainted  with  them,  is  per- 
fectly ridiculous. 

The  Younger  boys  have  a  cattle  ranch  in 
Texas,  which  they  call  their  home.  When  the 
semi-annual  cattle  "drive"  conies  up,  how- 
ever, it  generally  brings  them  back  to  their 
old  haunts,  and  the  homes  of  their  friends  in 
Missouri,  in  St.  Clair,  Jackson  and  other  coun- 
ties, where  they  remain  a  short  time,  visiting 
friends  and  relatives. 


222  MISCELLANEOUS. 

Years  ago  these  boys  were  orpl  .^ed  and 
driven  out  of  Missouri,  and  the  continued 
efforts  of  their  enemies  to  persecute  and  hunt 
them  down  Hke  wild  beasts,  has,  very  naturally, 
caused  them  to  become  reckless  and  at  all 
times  prepared  for  an  emergency.  They* are 
men  possessing  but  few  of  the  lesser  vices,  and 
it  is  no  imcommon  thing  to  see  them  attending 
church,  when  they  are  in  a  neighborhood  where 
there  is  no  likelihood  of  trouble. 

■  iVlmost  every  depredation  committed  in  Mis- 
souri and  the  adjoining  States,  the  past  four  or 
five  years,  has  been  laid  to  the  Youngers  oi 
their  friends.  In  fact,  such  has  been  their 
character,  that  it  seemed  an  easy  matter  for 
others  to  commit  depredations  and  escape 
detection.  Within  the  past  year,  how^ever, 
this  has  been  discovered  to  be  a  great  mistake, 
and  since  the  few,  if  any,  of  the  crimes  com- 
mitted, have  been  attributed  to  the  Younger 
Brothers. 


MISCELLANEOUS  ITEMS. 


The  Hot  Springs,  Arkansas,  stage  robbery, 
which  occurred  in  January,  1874,  was  one  of 
the  boldest  robberies  ever  committed,  eclipsing 


MISCELLANEOUS.  223 

any  of  tlie  feats  attempted  by  tlie  reiiowued 
Diok  Turpin.  Cole  Younger  was  charged  with 
having  a  hand  in  this  httle  affair ,  but  he  is  able 
to  prove  by  some  of  the  leading  men  of  Carroll 
Parish,  Louisiana,  that  he  was  there  at  the 
time.  In  his  letter,  published  elsewhere,  Cole 
Younger  refers  to  this  matter,  and  gives  the 
names  of  gentlemen  by  whom  he  can  prove  his 
whereabouts  at  the  time.  This  book  being  a 
pretty  complete  history  of  Western  depreda- 
tions during  the  past  few  years,  we  reprint  the 
following  account  of  this  daring  highway  rob- 
bery, taken  from  the  Little  Eock,  Arkansas, 
Gazette : 

"From  Mr.  G.  E.  Crump,  a  representative  of  the 
wholesale  tobacco  and  cigar  house  of  Edmunds,  Petti- 
grew  &  Co.,  of  Memphis,  who  arrived  from  Hot  Springs 
last  night,  and  was  on  Thursday's  stage,  going  to  the 
Springs,  at  the  time  oi  the  robbery  referred  to  in  Fri- 
day's Gazette,  we  learn  the  particulars  of  the  affair. 
There  was  one  stage  and  two  light  road  wagons,  or 
ambulances,  the  stage  being  in  front  and  the  other  two 
vehicles  immediately  in  the  rear.  At  the  Gains  place, 
five  miles  this  side  of  Hot  Springs,  the  stage  was  stopped 
to  water  the  stock.  While  watering,  five  men  rode  up, 
coming  from  to\vard  Hot  Springs,  and  passed  on  by. 
Each  man  wore  a  heavy  blue  array  overcoat,  but  neither 
of  them  were  masked.  Nothing  was  thought  of  the 
matter,  and  the  vehicles  moved  on.     After  going  about 


224  MISCELLANEOUS. 

half  a  mJle,  the  men  who  had  passed  them  at  the  Gains 
place,  rode  up  from  behind,  and  the  first  thing  that  Mr. 
Crump,  who  was  in  the  first  stage,  heard,  was  an  order 
to  the  driver  to  stop,  or  his  head  would  be  blown  ofif. 
The  stage  was  stopped,  and,  on  throw*ing  up  the  curtain, 
he  saw  a  pistol  pointed  at  him  and  the  others  in  the 
stage,  telling  them  to  get  out  quick,  accompanied  by  an 
oath.  They  got  out,  and  as  they  did  so,  were  ordered  to 
throw  up  their  hands.  Three  men  were  iji  front  of  them 
with  cocked  pistols  and  another  with  a  shot-gun,  while 
on  the  other  side  of  the  stage  was  still  another,  all  point- 
ing their  weapons  toward  the  passengers  and  the  driyer. 
After  getting  the  passengers  out  they  made  them  form 
in  a  kind  of  circle,  so  that  all  of  them  could  be  covered 
by  the  pistols  and  gun. 

The  leader  then  "went  through"  each  passenger,  tak- 
ing all  the  watches,  jewelry  and  money  that  could  con- 
venientl}^  be  found  that  were  of  special  value.  From  ex- 
Gov.  Burbank,  of  Dakota,  they  obtained  $840  in  money, 
a  diamond  pin  and  gold  watch.  A  gentleman  named 
Taylor,  from  Lowell,  Mass.,  went  up  for  $650  in  money. 
A  passenger  from  Syracuse,  N.  Y.,  gave  up  his  last  nickle, 
$160.  Mr.  Johnny  Dietrich,  our  boot  and  shoe  mercliant, 
lost  $5  in  money  and  a  fine  gold  watch.  He  had  $50 
besides  this  in  the  watch  pocket  of  his  pants  which  they 
did  not  find.  Mr.  Charley  Moore,  of  the  ice  house,  gave 
up  $70  in  money  and  his  silver  watch,  but  they  returned 
the  latter,  stating  they  did  not  want  any  silver  watches. 
A  Mr.  Peoples,  who  resides  near  Hot  Springs,  lost  $20. 
Three  countrymen  lost  about  $15.  The  express  package, 
containing  about  $450,  was  also  taken.     Mr.  Crump  had 


MISCELLANEOUS.  225 

his  watch  and  about  $40  to  $45  in  money  gobbled. 
After  getting  through  with  the  passengers,  they  tore  open 
several  mail  sacks  in  search  of  registered  letters,  but  did 
not  get  any.  While  the  main  party  was  engaged  in  this 
work,  another  took  out  the  best  horse  in  the  coach,  sad- 
dled him,  rode  him  up  and  down  the  road  about  fifty 
yards,  two  or  three  times,  and  remarked  that  "  he 
would  do." 

After  all  this  the  captain  went  to  each  passen- 
ger in  turn  and  questioned  him  as  to  where  he 
was  from,  and  inquired  if  there  were  any  South- 
ern men  along.  Mr.  Crump  spoke  up,  as  did  one 
or  tw^o  others,  that  they  were  Southern  men. 
They  then  asked  if  there  were  any  who  had 
served  in  the  Confederate  army  during  the  war. 
Mr.  Crump  answered  that  he  did.  They  ques- 
tioned him  as  to  what  command,  and  remark- 
ing that  he  looked  like  an  honest  fellow,  one 
who  was  telling  the  truth,  handed  him  hack  his 
watch  and  money,  saying  they  did  not  want  to 
rob  Confederate  soldiers;  that  the  Northern 
men  had  driven  them  into  outlawry,  and  they 
intended  to  make  them  pay  for  it. 

Coming  to  Mr.  Taylor  of  Lowell,  they  asked 
where  he  was  from. 

*'  St.  Louis,"  he  responded. 

The  "captain"  eyed  him  closely.  "Yes,  and 
you  are  a  newspaper  reporter  for  the  St.  Louis 
Dejnocrat,  the  vilest  paper  in  the  West.     Go  to 

0 


226  MISCELLANEOUS. 

Hot  Springs  and  send  th^  Democrat  a  telegram 
about  this  affair,  and  give  them  my  compli- 
ments." 

Gov.  Burbank  asked  them  to  retm-n  his 
papers,  saying  they  could  be  of  ro  benefit  to 
them.  The  "captain"  squatted  down  on  his 
knees,  and  commenced  examining  then.  Turn- 
ing around  to  his  followers  he  said,  "Boys,  I 
believe  he  is  a  detective — shoot  him!"  and 
forthwith  he  was  covered  with  three  pistols. 
"Stop,"  said  the  leader,  looking  further.  "I 
guess  it's  all  right,"  and  handed  the  Governor 
his  papers.  Coming  to  the  gentleman  from 
Syracuse,  New  York,  who  w^as  going  to  the 
Springs  for  his  health,  he  asked  them  to  give 
him  back  five  dollars  so  that  he  could  telegraph 
home.  Eyemg  him  closely,  the  chief  responded 
that  if  he  had  no  friends  or  money,  he  had  bet- 
ter go  and  die — that  he  would  be  little  loss  any 
way.  The  fellow  with  the  shot-gun  kept  point- 
ing it  at  the  St.  Louis  Democrat  man,  as  they 
termed  him,  making  such  cheerful  remarks  as 
these :  "I'll  bet  I  can  shoot  his  hat  off  without 
touching  a  hair  of  his  head." 

All  of  them  seemed  to  be  jolly  fellows,  and  en- 
joyed the  fun  very  much.  None  of  the  passen- 
gers were  armed,  and,  as  Mr.  Crump  expressed 
it.  "they  had  the  drop  on  them."     One  passen- 


MISCELLANEOUS.  2Z/ 

ger  with  the  rheumatism,  sohadly  afflicted  that 
he  could  not  get  out  of  the  coach,  they  did  not 
touch,  refusing  to  take  anything  he  had. 

A.  SKIBMISH  AT  NEOSHO,  MO.,  WITH  ILLINOIS  TKOOPS. 

After  the  battle  of  Elk  Horn,  Arkansas,  all 
of  the  then  enlisted  Confederate  troops  were 
ordered  East  of  the  Mississippi  river.  This  was 
in  March,  1862.  After  the  evacuation  of  the 
Trans-Mississippi  department  by  the  Confed- 
erate troops,  this  left  all  of  the  Confederate 
states  then  West  of  the  river  in  danger  of  be- 
ing overrun  by  the  enemy.  There  were  always 
a  few  men  who  kept  in  the  rear  of  the  main 
army,  and  when  the  Confederate  troops  crossed 
the  river  a  few  remained  behind.  Among  those 
few  who  remained  behind  were  some  as  brave 
men  as  ever  handled  a  gun  or  carried  a  sword. 
They  did  not  care  to  leave  their  homes  and 
their  wives,  daughters,  mothers  and  sisters  un- 
protected. 

Col.  J.  T.  Coffee  was  one  of  the  men  who 
did  not  relish  the  idea  of  going  East  of  the  Mis- 
sissippi river  with  the  Confederate  army,  and 
remained  West  of  ,the  river.  By  the  15th  of 
April  he  was  busily  engaged  in  Southwest  Mis- 
souri collecting  together  the  deserters,  or  those 
who  had  neglected  or  refused  to  cross  the  river. 


228  MISCELLANEOUS. 

Col.  Coffee's  headquarters  were  upon  Cowskin 
Prairie,  not  far  from  Marysville,  Arkansas,  a 
small  village  upon  the  line  or  corner  of  Mis- 
souri, x\rkansas  and  the  Cherokee  Nation, 
partly  iii  Arkansas  and  partly  in  the  Nation. 
It  was  a  very  suitable  place  to  recuit  a  regiment 
of  men,  as  the  country  was  somewhat  moun- 
tainous, interspersed  with  tracts  of  beautiful 
prairie  land,  which  furnished  excellent  pasture 
for  the  animals.  Fresh  water  springs  also 
abounded,  which  furnished  excellent  water  for 
both  men  and  horses.  It  was  not  long  until 
Col.  Coffee  had  succeeded  in  recuiting  or  bring- 
ing together  a  batallion  of  200  men.  He  was 
desirous  of  making  up  a  regiment,  in  order  to 
have  sufficient  force  to  release  his  daughter, 
Bettie,  who  had  been  seized  and  thrust  into  a 
Federal  prison  at  Bolivar,  Polk  county,  Mis- 
souri, simply  because  this  young  lady,  very 
beautiful  and  accomphshed,  of  eighteen  sum- 
mers, was  a  little  talkative,  and  advocated  the 
rights  of  the  Southern  people  to  defend  their 
altars  and  their  firesides,  and  the  green  graves 
of  their  sires,  from  the  ruthlessness  of  the  in- 
vader, the  Northern  soldiers,  who  were  then 
reducing  their  once  peaceful  and  happy  coun- 
try to  a  state  of  devastation,  misery  and  want. 
In  the  estimation  of  the  Federal  authorities, 


MISCELLANEOUS.  229 

Miss  Bettie  was  calculated  to  "add  fuel  to  the 
flames,"  and  arouse  the  Southern  heart  to  re- 
sistence.  On  this  account  she  was  arrested  and 
placed  in  prison,  where  her  influence  could  not 
be  heard  and  felt. 

But  in  this  they  were  greatly  mistaken,  as 
her  arrest  and  imprisonment  soon  became 
known,  and  the  result  was  that  it  only  had  the 
effect  of  still  more  arousing  every  man  who  had 
the  least  spark  of  Southern  feeling  in  his  heart, 
or  in  whose  veins  coursed  Southern  blood. 

Col.  Coffee's  battalion  of  200  men  was  toler- 
ably well  armed  with  shotguns  and  squirrel 
rifles.  With  his  battalion  and  the  aid  of  Col. 
Stanw^atie,  who  was  a  half-breed  Cherokee  In- 
dian, commanding  a  regiment,  then  stationed 
in  the  Nation,  about  forty  miles  distant,  Col. 
Coffee  hoped  to  accomplish  the  great  object  of 
his  desire,  the  release  of  his  daughter.  The 
Cherokees,  it  will  be  remembered,  were  deeply 
and  zealously  devoted  to  the  cause  of  the  South, 
and  the  regiment  under  the  command  of  Col. 
Stanwatie  w^as  organized  for  the  purpose  of  aid- 
ing the  Southern  cause.  Col.  Coffee  made 
know^n  his  intentions  to  Col.  "Watie,"  as  he 
was  often  called,  who  mllingly  furnished  200 
men,  commanded  by  the  Major  of  the  regiment. 
Col.    Watie  was  very    anxious    that  Neosho 


230  MISCELLANEOUS. 

should  be  taken,  as  lie  had  attacked  that  place 
with  about  150  men  some  time  previous  and 
failed,  sustaining  the  loss  of  a  few  men  and  one 
piece  of  artillery,  he  having  been  overpowered 
in  numbers  and  the  enemy  having  the  advan- 
tage of  improved  arms  and  war  material.  The 
brave  commander  had  stood  by  his  lield-piece, 
firing  as  rapidly  as  possible,  after  his  men  had  re- 
treated in  confusion,  and  did  not  leave  until  all 
chance  of  success  had  become  utterly  impos- 
sible. 

With  the  addition  of  the  battalion  from  Col. 
Watie's  regiment,  Col.  Coffee  thought  his  force 
sufficient  to  capture  Neosho,  which  was  sixty 
miles  distant.  After  nightfall  upon  the  5tli  of 
May,  Col.  Cofiee's  men  took  up  the  line  of 
march  for  Neosho,  and  by  the  next  night  were 
within  two  miles  of  the  place.  In  approaching 
Neosho,  the  main  road  was  not  taken,  but  the 
most  direct  route,  the  untraveled  paths,  and  at 
times  no  regard  was  had  to  roads,  but  the  di- 
rect course,  traveling,  as  it  were,  by  the  com- 
pass. The  most  of  the  country  through  which 
Col.  Coffee  passed  was  a  barren  waste,  with 
flinty  soil,  and  mountainous.  The  small  flint 
mountains  in  this  section  of  country  are  sep- 
arated by  deep  gulches,  in  which  the  most  lux- 
uriant grass  grows,  which  affords  splendid  graz- 


MISCELLANEOUS.  231 

iug  for  stock.  In  one  of  these  gulches,  within 
two  miles  of  the  town  of  Neosho,  Col.  Coffee 
concluded  to  wait  the  approach  of  day  on  the 
niorning  of  the  7th.  Before  the  hreak  of  day 
on  that  niornnig  Col.  Coffee  again  took  up  the 
line  of  march,  passing  through  the  timher  until 
within  half  a  mile  of  the  town.  A  halt  was 
tlien  made  and  most  of  the  men  dismounted, 
leaving  hut  forty  cavalrymen,  conmianded  by 
Capt.  Jackman.  The  Confederate  forces  ad- 
vanced to  the  rear  of  a  field,  containing  seven 
or  eight  acres,  in  a  creek  bottom,  back  of  which 
field  was  heavy  timber,  with  thick  undergrowth, 
where  the  horses  were  left  in  charge  of  a  small 
guard.  By  this  time  daj^hght  had  appeared. 
The  infantry  were  then  ordered  into  line,  and 
marched  through  heavy  black-oak  timber  just 
back  of  town.  Capt.  Jackman  was  ordered  to 
take  a  plain  road  leading  to  town,  on  the  left  of 
the  infantry.  The  road  entered  the  town  on 
the  northwest,  but  Jackman  was  ordered  to 
pass  around  town  and  enter  from  the  southwest. 
The  sun  was  now  up,  shedding  its  rays  of  light 
on  all  around,  and  the  Federal  camp  was  in  full 
view.  As  they  ascended  a  slight  eminence,  at 
the  outward  part  of  the  town,  they  had  a  full 
view  of  the  place,  which  is  situated  upon  a 
piece  of  io'v^  land  south  of  a  small  creek,  the 


232  MISCELLANEOUS . 

Federal  camp  being  directly  in  front  of  the 
Confederate  line  of  infantry.  Capt.  Jackman 
had  fired  upon  and  captured  the  Federal  out- 
post on  the  northwest.  This  occurred  about 
the  time  Col.  Coffee  had  got  up  within  full  view 
of  the  Federal  cam]),  who  were  jnostly  up  and 
engaged  in  getting  breakfast.  A  charge  w^as 
then  ordered,  which  was  made  with  a  yell  and 
determination  that  at  once  struck  terror  into 
the  enemy's  camp.  As  the  charge  was  being 
made  a  frightened  lady  ran  out  of  her  house  and 
got  directly  in  front  of  the  Confederate  line, 
just  as  the  Federals  opened  fire.  Col.  Coffee 
ordered  two  of  his  men  to  seize  her  and  carry 
her  into  the  house  and  close  the  door,  which 
was  done  in  a  moment.  Col.  Coffee  had  given 
orders  to  his  men  to  fire  at  the  feet  of  the 
enemy,  thereby  insuring  a  more  effective  fire, 
if  the  orders  were  carried  out,  as  it  is  a  well 
known  fact  that  all  firing,  in  battle,  ranges  too 
high.  Two  rounds  from  the  ranks  of  Coffee's 
men  caused  the  enemy  to  break  and  retreat  in 
confusion. 

A  second  charge  was  ordered,  which  was  suc- 
cessfully made  and  carried  everything  before  it, 
and  the  Confederates  were  soon  in  the  Federal 
camp,  with  the  latter  in  full  flight.  Just  then 
Capt.  Jackman  entered  town  upon  the  north. 


MTSr-ELLANEOUS.  2B3 

The  enemy  retreated  towards  Newtonia.  As 
Jackman  entered  the  town  he  discovered  two 
Dutchmen,  heavily  armed,  making  across  afield 
near  by,  and  he  ordered  two  of  his  men  to  throw 
down  the  fence,  follow  and  capture  them.  As 
they  neared  them  they  were  commanded  to  halt, 
when  one  of  them  turned  around  and  fired, 
killing  one  of  Jackman's  men.  This  occurred 
within  plain  view  of  the  command,  and  it  filled 
the  breast  of  every  man  with  revenge,  and,  as  if 
prompted  by  the  same  impulse,  nearly  the 
whole  company  rushed  through  the  open  gap 
to  have  revenge  for  the  death  of  their  comrade, 
which  was  speedily  accomplished. 

The  enemy  was  pursued  several  miles  by 
Capt.  Jackman,  and  their  wagons,  camp  equi- 
page and  some  arms  captured.  Their  flag  was 
also  captured  and  fell  into  the  hands  of  the 
Cherokees,  who  made  a  constant  display  of  it, 
in  a  very  boastful  manner.  It  seemed  to  be  their 
hearts'  joy  to  have  the  honor  of  capturing  the 
enemy's  flag.  Thus  a  complete  victory  was 
achieved.  The  loss  on  both  sides  was  very 
Hght. 

The  evening  previous  to  the  battle  some  of 
the  Federals  had  boasted  that  they  would  have* 
'coffee  for  breakfast,'  some  having  just  arrived, 
but  the  Coffee  they  got  was  of  a  different  char- 


234  MISCELLANEOUS. 

acter  than  they  expected  to  rehsh,  and  their 
cofi'ee  served  to  complete  the  breakfast  of  Col. 
Coffee's  men. 

After  the  battle  Col.  Coffee  fell  back  upon 
Grand  Eiver,  in  the  edge  of  the  Nation,  where 
he  remained  camped  for  some  days,  until  a 
Federal  command  from  Kansas,  composed  of 
Kansas  Jayhawkers  and  Pin  Indians,  1,1CX) 
men,  were  in  hot  pursuit  of  him.  The  Chero- 
kees  had  fallen  back  to  Watie's  Mill,  and  this 
left  Coffee  with  less  than  200  men,  a  force  in- 
sufficient to  compete  with  the  Federals,  and  he 
also  fell  back  to  the  same  point. 

THE  BATTLE  OF  POLSON  SPRINGS,  ARKANSAS. 

Warlike  operations  commenced  in  the  Trans- 
Mississippi  Department  early  in  the  spring  of 
1864.  About  the  last  of  March  the  Federal 
authorities  had  devised  or  agreed  upon  a  plan 
to  carry  on  the  war  in  the  Western  Depart- 
ment. Gen.  Banks  was  to  proceed  up  Red 
River  to  a  certain  point,  disembark  his  troops, 
and  march  by  land,  passing  through  Louisiana 
and  enter  Texas  upon  the  east,  at  a  certain 
point.  Gen.  Steele  was. to  move  from  Little 
Rock,  Arkansas,  with  his  troops,  and  those  two 
armies  were  to  unite  or  consolidate  their 
forces  in  Texas  and  harvest  the  wheatfields  of 


MISCELLANEOUS.  235 

fchat  state,  carrying  off  all  the  cotton,  &g.  But 
Gen.  Kirby  Smith,  who  had  command  of  all  the 
Confederate  forces  of  the  Trans-Mississippi 
Department,  was  closely  watching  the  Federal 
movements.  About  the  last  of  March  Major- 
General  Sterling  Price  was  ordered  to  Louisi- 
ana with  all  of  his  infantry,  to  oppose  the 
movements  of  Gen.  Banks.  Gen.  Price  left 
all  of  his  cavalry  in  Southern  Arkansas,  to 
confront  the  movement  of  Gen.  Steele  at  Lit- 
tle Kock.  Gen.  Price  and  Gen.  Dick  Taylor, 
a  son  of  old  Zachariah  Taylor,  the  hero  of  the 
battle  of  Buena  Vista,  Mexico,  in  1848,  com- 
bined their  forces  in  Louisiana,  at  Mansfield. 
At  this  point  a  battle  was  fought,  resulting  in 
the  routing  of  Gen.  Banks  with  great  loss. 
Gen.  Steele  began  to  move  South  about  the 
same  time,  and  was  opposed  by  the  cavalry  of 
Gen.  Marmaduke,  Gen.  Joe  Shelby  and  Gen. 
Cabell,  of  Arkansas.  All  of  the  cavalry  at 
this  time  was  under  the  command,  or  subject 
to  the  orders  of  Gen.  Marmaduke.  He  soon 
had  heavy  work  to  do,  as  Gen.  Steele  had  a 
force  of  16,000  men,  while  Gen.  Marmaduke's 
whole  command  did  not  exceed  4,000  men. 
Heavy  skirmishing  soon  commenced  between 
the  two  commands,  and  was  kept  up  every  day 
from  the  first  of  April  until  the  battle  at  Jen- 


236  MISCELLANEOUS. 

kin's  Ferry,  in  which  Gen.  Steele  was  defeated 
by  Gen.  Price.  All  the  Confederate  cavalry 
could  do  was  to  keep  the  Federals  in  check  un- 
til Gen.  Price  returned  from  Louisiana  wdth 
his  infantry.  Gen  Marmaduke  had  heavy 
skirmishing  with  Steele's  forces  at  Spoonville 
and  other  places.  He  knew  that  Gen.  Steele 
had  four  times  his  number  and  therefore 
avoided  a  general  engagement. 

As  soon  as  Gen.  Price  and  Gen.  Taylor  de- 
feated Gen.  Banks,  Gen.  Price  returned  to  Ar- 
kansas with  his  infantry,  coming  upon  Gen. 
Steele  near  Camden.  Here  Gen.  Steele  tried 
to  induce  Gen.  Price  to  believe  he  intended 
making  a  stand,  and  as  soon  as  he  took  posses- 
sion of  the  town  sent  out  a  train  of  forage  wag- 
ons, upon  White  Oak  Creek,  by  the  way  of 
Poison  Springs.  With  the  train  was  a  guard 
of  1,000  men.  As  soon  as  this  information  was 
obtained  by  Gen.  Price,  he  sent  out  Gen. 
Greene  of  Missouri  and  Gen.  Cabell  of  Arkan- 
sas, with  their  small  brigades.  They  passed  on 
up  White  Oak  Creek  some  distance,  until  they 
came  to  where  it  forks.  Gen.  Green  took  his 
command  up  one  fork  and  Gen.  Cabell  the 
other.  After  passing  up  these  streams  about 
four  miles  they  came  to  a  halt  and  waited  for 
the  enemy.    During  all  this  time  Gen.  Steele 


MISCET.L  ANKO  OS .  287 

was  moving  his  forces  out  of  Camden,  aiming 
to  get  to  Little  Rock.  The  forage  wagons  had 
been  sent  South.  Thus  it  will  be  observed  that 
his  intention  was  to  sell  out  that  small  force, 
well  knowing  they  would  be  captured  by  the 
Confederate  forces.  The  Federal  forage  train 
came  down  the  north  fork  and  opened  fire  on 
Gen.  Cabell's  troops,  who  returned  the  fire 
spiritedly.  The  train  guard  had  two  pieces  of 
artillery.  Gen.  Cabell  also  had  a  battery  of 
four  guns,  belonging  to  Col.  Monroe's  regi- 
ment. As  soon  as  the  enemy  opened  fire,  Gen. 
Cabell  sent  a  courier  to  Gen.  Green,  informing 
him  that  his  troops  were  now  engaged  with  the 
enemy,  in  a  hot  contest,  and  to  move  up  his 
command  at  once.  The  courier  returned  with 
the  information  that  he  w^ould  soon  be  on  hand 
with  his  command.  By  this  time  Gen.  Ca- 
bell's troops  were  being  driven  back,  with  a 
heavy  loss,  wdien  a  second  courier  was  sent  to 
Gen.  Green,  telhng  him  to  hasten  up  on  a 
double  quick  to  his  rehef.  The  answer  was 
soon  received  that  Gen.  Green  was  close  at 
hand.  Gen.  Green  had  also  sent  back  word  to 
Gen.  Cabell  to  get  his  men  out  of  the  w^ay,  as 
he.  Green,  intended  to  charge  the  enemy.  Gen. 
Cabell  did  as  directed.  The  enemy  were  now 
in  an  open  field  of  about  ten  acres,  when  the 


238  MISCELLANEOUS. 

Missourians  came  dashing  in,  in  full  charge. 
Gen.  Green  taking  off  his  hat  and  holding  it 
in  his  hand,  leading  the  charge.  Those  nohle 
and  hrave  Missourians  seemed  to  know  no  fear 
or  danger,  but  rushed  wildly  into  the  field,  scat- 
tering death  and  destruction  all  around.  The 
Dutch  and  negroes  of  the  Federal  command 
fought  well.  It  was  a  hand-to-hand  contest, 
for  half  an  hour.  Some  of  the  Dutch  broke 
and  ran  from  the  field,  but  the  most  were  killed 
in  battle.  The  entire  forage  guard  w^as  com- 
posed of  Dutch  and  negroes.  Six  hundred  ne- 
groes were  killed,  as  no  quarters  were  given  by 
the  Kebels  to  them.  Their  guns,  wagons, 
horses,  &c.,  were  all  captured. 

THE  BATTLE  OF  CLEAR  CREEK,  MO. 

This  battle  w^as  fought  on  the  second  day  of 
August,  1862,  between  some  Missouri  Confed- 
erate troops  and  Iowa  Federals,  being  the  First 
Iowa  Cavalry,  under  the  command  of  Col. 
Warren.  The  Missourians  were  from  St.  Clair 
county,  and  commanded  by  Capt.  Handcock, 
who  was  afterwards  promoted  to  the  rank  of 
Colonel.  Some  weeks  previous  to  this  small 
battle,  so  far  as  numbers  on  the  Confederate 
side  was  concerned,  although  quite  formidable 
on  the  part   of    the  Federals,   their  loss  be- 


MISCELLANEOUS.  239 

ing  quite  heavy,  Capt.  Handcock  had  been 
in  St.  Clair  county,  upon  the  banks  of  the 
Osage  river,  mustering  together  men,  hoping 
to  swell  his  number  to  a  battalion,  intend- 
ing then  to  march  them  to  the  regu- 
lar Confederate  army,  then  in  the  State  of 
Arkansas.  At  the  time  of  the  battle  he  had 
augmented  his  forces  to  near  two  hundred  men, 
but  only  about  seventy  men  were  armed.  Capt. 
Handcock 's  principal  place  of  rendezvous  was 
upon  Clear  creek.  This  creek  is  a  email  stream 
tributary  to  the  Osage  river,  which  takes  its 
rise  or  heads  near  the  northwest  corner  of  Cedar 
county,  and  empties  its  waters  into  the  Osage 
river  three  miles  below  TaborviUe,  in  St.  Clair 
county.  Upon  the  right  bank  of  this  stream, 
about  six  or  seven  miles  from  its  mouth,  in  the 
timber,  was  Capt.  Handcock  and  his  men  on 
the  morning  of  the  battle.  At  the  time  they 
were  preparing  to  leave  for  the  South,  at  the 
earliest  possible  moment,  not  anticipating  an 
attack.  Capt.  Handcock  had  gathered  together 
all  the  men  he  thought  could  be  consolidated 
at  the  time.  He  felt  confident  that  his  where- 
abouts were  known  and  thought  it  prudent  to 
leave  as  soon  as  possible,  as  large  Federal  forces 
were  within  striking  distance  all  around  him. 
He  did   not  suppose  his   exact  position  w^as 


240  MISCELLANEOUS. 

known,  but  lie  felt  assured  that  it  was  known 
he  was  in  the  county  of  St.  Clair. 

Some  months  before  this  Col.  Warren  had 
entered  the  county  with  one  thousand  cavalry. 
At  this  time  he  had  his  men  divided  up,  a  por- 
tion of  them  holding  the  post  at  Osceola,  St. 
Clair  county,  a  portion  at  Germantown,  and  a 
portion  at  Butler,  both  the  latter  places  being 
in  the  adjoining  county  of  Bates.  As  before 
stated,  Capt.  Handcock  was  getting  ready  to 
leave  for  the  South,  and  would  have  been  ofli 
in  less  than  two  hours  after  the  fight  com- 
menced. A  day  or  two  previous  he  had  also 
learned  that  Col.  Coffee,  Confederate,  had  cap- 
tured the  town  of  Greenfield,  Dade  county, 
Missouri,  with  most  of  the  militia  stationed 
there,  and  intended  marching  in  that  direction 
hoping  to  fall  in  with  him. 

Early  upon  the  morning  of  the  second  of 
August,  1SG4,  Capt.  Handcock's  pickets  came 
into  camp  and  reported  that  there  was  a  body 
of  men  approaching  from  the  west  side  of  the 
timber.  Five  of  Handcock's  men,  who  were 
breakfasting  at  Mrs.  McCulloch's  a  short  dis- 
tance from  the  camp,  were  captured.  The 
Federal  advance,  wliich  captured  the  five  men 
at  Mrs.  McCulloch's,  tailed  to  get  one  man, 
and  he  watched  an  opportunity,  and,  with  a  re- 


MISCELLANEOUS.  241 

volver  in  each  hand,  made  a  dash  on  them  and 
put  them  to  flight  to  such  an  extent  that  his 
companions  succeeded  in  making  their  escape. 

As  soon  as  Capt.  Handcock  learned  of  the 
approaching  enemy,  he  formed  his  men  in  line 
of  battle,  selecting  the  best  possible  position 
for  defence,  which  was  a  ravine  along  a  field, 
the  fence  running  along  the  field  being  very 
high,  as  the  field  or  lot  was  used  to  keep  mules 
secure.  This  ravine  crossed  the  road  near  the 
field,  and  on  both  sides  of  the  road  the  brush 
was  quite  thick,  and  down  this  road  the  Feder- 
als were  expected  to  come.  Capt.  Handcock 
had  all  his  horses  taken  back  to  a  secure  place 
and  put  in  charge  of  a  number  of  his  men  who 
were  unarmed. 

All  of  Handcock' s  men,  with  a  very  few  ex- 
ceptions, were  raw  recruits,  who  had  never 
been  under  fire,  and,  as  before  stated,  without 
arms,  and  unorganized.  Most  of  the  arms  that 
were  used  were  shotguns  and  squirrel  rifles, 
with  no  prepared  ammunition.  Capt.  Hand- 
cock had  with  him  about  one  keg  of  powder, 
which,  when  divided  up  between  his  men,  was 
a  small  allowance  to  each  man,  and  required 
care  and  economy  in  its  use.  The  ammunition 
was  in  charge  of  one  man,  and  consequently  on 
the  morning  of  the  fight,  even  up  to  the  time 


242  MISCELLANEOUS. 

of  its  actual  commencement,  the  men  were  al- 
most wholly  without  the  means  of  resistance, 
and  the  distribution  did  not  take  place  until 
after  the  men  were  placed  in  line  of  battle. 

As  soon  as  Capt.  Hancock  had  made  the  pre- 
liminary arrangement  of  his  men,  he  detailed  a 
squad  to  go  up  the  road  towards  the  prairie, 
with  instructions  to  decoy  the  Federals  into  the 
timber,  opening  fire  on  them  as  soon  as  they 
got  within  range,  and  if  they  hesitated  to  accept 
the  challenge  thus  thrown  out,  to  advHnce  on 
them  and  force  them  into  an  engagement,  and 
as  soon  as  they  found  that  the  Federals  were 
advancing  to  retreat  on  down  the  road,  passing 
through  their  own  ambushed  lines,  some  forty 
or  sixty  yards,  and  then  to  wheel  into  the  brush. 
Before  the  decoying  squad  started  to  lead  the 
enemy  into  the  trap  prepared  for  them,  one  of 
the  squad  was  detailed  to  keep  in  the  rear  on 
the  retreat,  thereby  the  more  effectually  induc- 
ing the  Federals  to  follow^  with  the  hope  of  at 
least  capturing  him. 

Capt.  Handcock  arranged  his  men  in  a  ravine, 
in  line,  ten  feet  apart,  with  instructions  to  fire 
directly  to  the  front,  but  under  no  circum- 
stances w^ere  they  to  fire  until  the  liead  of  the 
Federal  cavalry  reached  a  point  directly  oppo- 
site the  head  of  their  line,   which  would  be 


MISCELLANEOUS.  243 

known  by  the  commencement  of  firing  at  the 
extreme  head  of  the  cohmm. 

When  the  Lieutenant,  in  command  of  the 
advance  squad  or  decoying  party,  reached  the 
prairie,  he  discovered  the  foe  not  far  dis- 
tant, upon  the  open  plain,  and  as  they  got 
viight  of  the  rebel  boys  they  began  to  place  their 
men  in  readiness  for  battle.  They  seemed  to 
be  eager  for  rebel  blood,  and  soon  put  the  ad- 
vance guard  to  flight,  pursuing  them  hotly  on 
clear  through  the  rebel  lines.  Capt.  Handcock 
heard  the  roaring  of  the, feet  of  the  approach- 
ing animals,  as  they  came  in  hot  pursuit  of  his 
companions,  and  again  cautioned  his  men  to 
hold  their  fire  until  ah  had  passed  the  proper 
point.  "  Boys,"  said  he,  "do  not  become  ex- 
cited, but  keep  perfectly  cool  and  reserve  your 
fire  until  I  give  the  signal  with  my  pistol,  and 
then  take  deliberate  aim  at  the  man  directly  in 
your  front.  By  so  doing  your  fire  will  be  well 
directed,  £.jd  each  of  you  will  get  a  man,  and 
thereby  do  much  greater  execution  than  you 
could  otherwise  possibly  do."  A  moment  after- 
wards the  enemy  came  in  sight,  and  after  the 
rebel  squad  liad  passed  through  and  the  Federal 
head  got  opposite  Capt.  Handcock,  he  let  loose 
with  his  pistol  and  brought  down  his  man,  at  the 
same  time  crying  out, ''  Huzza,  mr  b;'Hy^  ^^ovs,' 


244  MISCELLANEOUS . 

when  about  seventy  guns  sent  forth  their  deadly 
missiles  into  the  ranks  of  the  enemy,  and  down 
went  riders  and  horses,  along  the  entire  hne. 
The  foe  at  once  checked  up,  and  their  men 
positively  cried  out  for  mercy  so  deadly  and  de- 
structive was  the  fire  of  the  rebel  ranks.  But 
as  they  did  not  offer  to  surrender,  the  rebels  at 
once,  as  soon  as  they  reloaded,  gave  them  the 
second  round.  The  Federals  then  crowded  up 
along  the  fence  which  enclosed  the  mule  lot, 
spoken  of  heretofore,  and  after  partially  recov- 
ering from  the  terrible  shock,  they  returned  the 
fire  in  the  direction  of  the  ravine.  But  the 
rebels  soon  gave  them  the  third  round,  which 
caused  them  to  force  their  animals  through  and 
over  the  fence  as  best  they  could.  A  gap  was 
made  in  the  fence,  and  through  this  many  a 
horse  passed,  though  as  he  did  so  many  a  rider 
dropped  dead.  At  length  the  Federals  beat  a 
hasty  retreat. 

Out  of  the  two  hundred  Federals  that  came 
down  the  valley  of  Clear  Creek,  only  about  120 
escaped  unhurt,  nearly  80  falling  dead  in  their 
tracks.  The  party  was  commanded  by  a  Cap- 
tain of  Provost,  Col.  Warren  not  being  with 
them.  The  entire  Federal  force  sent  out  was 
240  men,  40  being  held  back  in  reserve,  but  the 
reserve  was  never  sent  up.     Capt.  Handcock 


MISOELLANEOnS.  'J.A  > 

lost  one  man  killed  and  two  wounded.  11  le 
man  killed  was  Lee  Bradley,  of  Bates  comity, 
Missom-i,  wdio  left  his  position  in  the  ravine 
and  went  out  on  the  road,  among  the  enemy, 
where  he  met  his  death.  His  grave  now  marks 
the  battle-field .  The  Federal  dead  were  hauled 
off  to  Butler,  Bates  county,  after  the  fight. 

As  soon  as  the  fight  was  over  Capt.  Hand- 
cock  saw.  that  his  dead  comrade  w^as  buried,  the 
wounded  cared  for,  and  then  took  up  his  line  of 
march  for  Dade  county,  Missouri.  When  the 
command  arrived  at  the  waters  of  Horse  Creek, 
in  Cedar  county,  a  halt  was  ordered.  While 
here  the  batallion  was  organized  into  companies 
and  Capt.  Handcock  was  elected  Colonel.  Here 
the  guns  of  the  men  were  arranged  into  squads 
according  to  their  caliber,  and  ammunition  pre- 
pared accordingly. 

The  line  of  march  was  again  resumed  and 
the  command  finally  arrived  at  the  headquarters 
of  Col.  J.  T.  Coffee,  in  Dade  county,  Mo.,  where 
the  men  were  transferred  to  the  regular  Con- 
federate army. 

FIGHT    AT    PORT    UNION,  KANSAS. 

During  the  fall  of  1864,  at  the  time  of  Gen. 
Price's  last  raid  into  Missouri,  after  the  battle 
of  Big  Blue,  Gren.  Price  entered  Kansas  and 


246  MISCELLANEOUS. 

passed  on  South  through  the  eastern  portion. 
After  passmg  hy  Fort  Scott,  a  Lieutenant  com- 
manding 85  men,  struck  out  across  the  country 
for  Fort  Union,  Kansas,  a  small  inland  to^vn 
containing  a  few  dry  goods  stores,  &c.  Our  in- 
formant says  he  never  saw  so  much  canned 
fruit  in  so  small  a  place  as  this  in  his  life.  The 
place  was  garrisoned  by  125  Federal  troops. 
As  Gren.  Price's  army  had  passed  on  South, 
this  inland  post  had  no  fears  from  that  source, 
as  it  was  thought.  The  Commander  of  those 
85  Confederates  was  a  man  who  loved  to  fight 
whenever  an  opportunity  offered  itself,  and 
there  was  anything  like  an  equal  chance  to 
gain  a  victory.  His  men  were  all  equally  will- 
ing, and  in  fact  had  frequently  been  termed 
*' blood-hounds,"  so  eager  were  they  to  engage 
in  battle.  When  the  Confederates  got  within 
about  one  mile  of  the  Fort  they  met  a  man  who 
had  just  left  there,  and  who  w^as  questioned 
about  the  number  of  troops  there  and  all  the 
particulars  possible  to  obtain  from  liim.  He 
stated  that  there  were  about  25  men  in  the 
Fort,  and  the  remainder,  about  100,  had  left 
their  guns  inside  the  Fort  and  were  scattered 
over  the  place  drunk,  as  they  had  learned  that 
Gen.  Price  had  gone  on  South,  hotly  pressed^ 
by  the  Federal  forces,  and  they  concluded  to 


MTSr'ELLANEOTJS.  YA  ^ 

,have  a  jolly  dniiik   in    ordeT  to  coinineinoiate 
the  event. 

After  parting  with  the  man  from  the  Fort 
the  company  started  off  in  a  gallop  and  did 
not  slacken  their  speed  until  they  entered  the 
town,  and  then  dashed  into  the  Fort,  com- 
pletely taking  the  Federals  by  surprise,  who 
were  not  aware  of  their  presence  until  they 
commenced  dealing  out  death  and  destruction 
on  every  side.  The  few  inside  the  stockade 
were  soon  shot  down  and  none  left  to  tell  the 
tale.  After  the  terrible  slaughter  in  the  Fort, 
which  was  but  the  work  of  a  few  moments,  the 
Confederates  left  the  garrison  and  proceeded 
to  town,  which  was  situated  in  the  prairie, 
near  a  clump  of  timber,  where  many  of  the 
Federal  soldiers  took  refuge  as  soon  as  they 
heard  the  firing  at  the  fortifications,  but  a 
short  distance  off.  Some  had  mounted  their 
horses  and  rode  oft'  across  the  prairie,  in  the 
direction  of  a  creek,  about  two  miles  distant, 
but  they  were  hotly  pursued  and  shot  down, 
not  being  able  to  make  much  resistance,  hav- 
ing left  their  guns  inside  the  Fort,  though 
most  of  them  had  side-arms,  which  they  used 
to  the  best  possible  advantage,  and  in  several 
instances  a  hand-to-hand  light  took  place. 
Butfew^  escaped,  nearly  the  wiiole  of  the  Fed- 


248  MISCELLANEOUS. 

era!  force  was  left  dead  upon  the  field  of  bat- 
tle, as  food  for  the  cayotes  that  so  numerausly 
abound  in  that  section.  Those  who  took  re- 
fuge in  the  timber  were  charged  upon  by  a  por- 
tion of  the  Eebel  cavalry,*  and  most  of  them 
likewise  fell  victims  of  Kebel  bullets. 

After  the  fight  was  over  it  is  said  one  could 
have  walked  some  distance  up  the  main  street 
on  dead  men  and  horses,  along  the  saloons. 
The  whole  time  consumed  in  the  fight  was  not 
over  one  hour,  but  it  was  a  terrible  slaughter, 
as  nearly  the  whole  Federal  garrison  were  left 
dead  upon  the  field  of  battle.  The  Rebel  loss 
was  one  man  killed  and  one  wounded,  the 
wounded  man  recovering  in  a  short  time.  Af- 
ter the  battle  the  Rebels  entered  the  stores 
and  helped  themselves  to  such  eatables  as  they 
could  find,  not  in  the  least  slighting  the  canned 
fruit,  which  was  so  plentiful,  and  quite  a  luxury 
to  hungry  and  fatigued  soldiers.  After  they 
had  all  helped  themselves  to  something  to  eat, 
they  then  proceeded  to  dress  themselves  up  in 
the  best  suits  of  clothing  in  the  stores,  which 
were  in  great  abundance.  They  then  moimted 
their  horses  and  left  the  bloody  and  sacked  town 
to  its  fate,  striking  across  the  prairie  in  a  south- 
erly direction,  and  entered  the  camp  of  their 
leader, Gen.  Price,  the  next  day,  about  night-fall. 


MISCELLANEOUS.  249 

LETTER  FROM  AN    OLD  CITIZEN   OF  MISSOURI. 

Col.  Harry  W.  Younger  wa«  murdered  by  a  party  of 
Uuion  Soldiers,  so  called,  and  backed  by  the  Govern- 
ment of  the  United  States,  but  in  truth  and  reality  noth- 
ing more  nor  less  than  an  organized  band  of  thieves  and 
cut-throats,  who  were  a  disgrace  to  any  government. 
This  brutal  and  highway  murder  and  robbery  took  place 
on  the  western  border  of  Missouri.  This  same  party 
were  of  the  number  who  drove  Coleman  and  James 
Younger,  sons  of  Col.  Harry  W.  Younger,  into  the 
camp  of  Quantrell.  These  boys,  left  to  themselves  and 
not  harrassed  by  the  militia,  were  not  disposed  to  hurt 
any  one,  and  if  they  could  have  had  their  choice,  would 
have  remained  quietly  at  home  during  the  whole  war, 
and  attended  to  the  farms  of  their  father.  But  how 
could  it  be  possible  for  them  to  do  so,  and  time  after 
time  to  see  and  hear  the  many  depredations  {*nd  out- 
rages that  were  being  committed  upon  their  parents  ? 
Their  father  robbed  of  his  property,  then  waylaid,  mur- 
dered and  robbed  of  the  money  he  had  just  received  for 
a  lot  of  stock  which  he  had  sold  ;  their  old  mocher  in- 
sulted and  abused,  compelled  to  fire  her  own  house  with 
her  own  hands,  driven  from  place  to  place,  harrassed  and 
deviled  to  such  an  extent  that  she  at  length  filled  an 
early  grave.  All  these  things  are  true  to  the  very  letter 
and  well  known  to  hundreds  of  as  good  citizens  as  ever 
lived  in  Missouri.  These  things,  and  many  others  of  less 
importance,  all  tended  to  drive  the  Younger  boys  to  des- 
peration and  to  induce  them  to  seek  revenge  upon  those 
who  had  perpetrated  the  outi^ges.     It  was  but  natural 


250  MISCELLANEOUS. 

for  them  so  to  do.  They  would  uot  have  been  human  to 
do  otherwise.  That  Cole  Younger  did  seek  out  and 
shoot  down  some,  perhaps  nearly  all,  of  the  men  who 
murdered  his  father,  there  seems  to  be  little  doubt.  It 
is  also  true  that  there  still  lives  one  of  the  prime  movers 
and  plotters  of  the  murder  of  his  father,  and  who  to 
this  day  carries  the  valuable  gold  watch  taken  from  the 
body  of  Col.  Younger  after  he  had  been  murdered  ;  and 
it  is  also  true  that  Cole  Younger  did  prevent  John 
Younger  from  taking  the  life  of  this  same  guilty  and 
heartless  wretch  about  two  years  ago  at  Monegaw 
Springs,  in  St.  Clair  .county.  The  party  of  murderers 
and  robbers  consisted  of  ten  men,  and  those  more  inti- 
mate with  them  and  the  whole  circumstance  than  the 
writer  of  this,  have  assured  me  that  nine  met  their  just 
deserts  and  filled  untimely  graves,  leaving,  as  before 
stated,  3^et  one  of  the  most  guilty,  unharmed,  whose  life 
seems  to  be  a  miserable  one  indeed,  as  it  is  said  that  he 
is  scarcely  ever  seen  outside  of  his  house.  Col.  H.  W. 
Younger,  as  was  well  known,  was  a  staunch  Union  man 
at  the  breaking  out  of  the  Avar,  and,  therefore,  there 
could  be  no  excuse  for  the  treatment  he  received  at  the 
hands  of  those  calling  themselves  Union  men  ;  they  were 
not  Union  men,  they  were  Union  thieves.  What  must 
be  the  remorse  of  conscience  of  the  poor,  miserable  crea- 
ture who  still  lives,  when  he  reflects  on  his  past  life  and 
conduct  ?  Methinks  I  can  see  that  man  at  the  dark  and 
drear}^  hour  of  midnight,  when  all  is  silent  and  still  as 
the  grave,  tossing  to  and  fro  ujion  his  couch,  unable  to 
sleep,  with  a  vision  of  his  murdered  victim  standing  be- 
fore him  ;  with  his  life-bl(^d  oozing  from  the  wounds  of 


MISCELLANEOUS.  251 

his  mangled  body.  A  resident  of  the  town  in  which 
this  man  now  hves,  asserts  that  he  is  scarcely  ever  seen 
on  the  streets  in  daylight,  but  stealthily  sneaks  out  at 
night,  in  disguise.  Those  who  claim  to  be  cognizant  of 
the  fact,  also  assert  that  there  are  now  living  near  the 
town  of  Butler  two  widows,  whose  husbands  were  shot 
down  in  cold  blood  by  the  orders  of  this  same  individual, 
who  was  then  acting  as  Captain.  Notwithstanding  this, 
this  miserable  creature  is  allowed  to  live  in  that  com- 
munity unpunished  and  unharmed,  save  that  punish- 
ment inflicted  upon  him  by  an  Allwise  Providence. 

Before  the  war  it  is  said  this  same  man  was  miserably 
poor,  but  now  he  seems  to  hffve  plenty  of  this  world's 
goods  and  lives  in  good  style.  He  owns  two  farms,  runs 
a  livery  stable  and  store,  but  where  or  when  he  got  the 
money,  no  one  knows  but  himself. 

With  regard  to  how  the  Younger  boys  make  a  living, 
if  they  do  not  commit  robberies,  a  question  very  often 
asked  but  seldom  answered  correctly,  I  will  give  some 
facts  well  known  to  me.  Nearly  ever  since  the  war  these 
boys  have  had  a  cattle  ranch  in  Western  Texas,  where 
they  herd  a  large  number  of  cattle,  which  are  usually 
sold  every  fail  and  shipped  north  and  east.  Those  ac- 
quainted with  this  business  well  understand  the  large 
profits  arising  therefrom,  and  can  easily  account  for  the 
fact  that  at  times  these  boys  have  plenty  of  money,  par- 
ticularly when  they  visit  Missouri,  which  is  usually  in  the 
fall.  During  the  summer  of  1873,  these  boys  visited 
Monegaw  Springs,  in  St.  Clair  county,  Missouri,  where 
there  were  hundreds  of  persons  stopping  at  the  time, 
partaking   of  the    curative  waters.     At    these    Springs 


252  MISCELLANEOUS. 

their  grandfather,  Chas.  F.    Younger,  spent  the  latter 
years  of  his  Ufe.     He  died  in  1873,  within  five  miles  of 
the  Springs,  surrounded  by  many  old  acquaintances  and 
friends,  some  of  whom  ranked  among  the  oldest  citizens 
of  St.  Clair  county.     Whenever  the  Younger  Brothers 
passed  through  this  portion  of  the  State   they  always 
stopped  to  see   their  grandfather  as  well  as  visit  other 
acquaintances.     On   this   account  some  of  the   old  citi 
zens  of  St.  Clair  county,  who  are  "  well  to  do  "  farmers, 
have  been  accused  of  harboring  and  protecting  horse- 
thieves,  murderers,  &c.     Suffice  it  to  say  that  those  few 
old  citizens  whom  the  Youngers  do  visit  when  in  this 
section  of  the  state,  cannot  believe  that  the  Youngers  are 
guilty  of  what  they  have  been  so  frequently    charged, 
while  in  several  instances  they  know  from  their  own  per- 
sonal knowledge  that  the   charges  are  false,  as  the  boys 
were  at   their  houses   the   very  times  they  are   charged 
with  being  hundreds  of  miles   away  committing  depre- 
dations.    Stealing  and  depredations  of  every  kind  have 
been  the  order  of  the  day  ever  since  the  close  of  the  war, 
and  instead  of  diminishing,  they  seem  to  increase  year 
after  year,  and  in  almost  every  instance,  unless  the  par- 
ties are  at  the  time  apprehended,  some  newspapers  take 
up  the  old  cry  of  Younger  Brothers,  and  soon  it  is  her- 
alded  forth   all   over  the  country.     Occasionally   some 
newspaper   editor  or  correspondent  ventures   to  assert 
that  the  Youngers  had  nothing  to  do  with  the  affair,  but 
so  general  seems  to  be  the  belief  that  the  Youngers  are 
the  only  ones  who  can  perpetrate  such  acts  of  lawless- 
ness, that  their  assertions  are  drowned   in  the  great  cry 
of  "Younger  Brothers."     This  very  forcibly  reminds  me 


MISCELLANEOUS.  253 

of  the  story  told  of  an  old  Quaker,  in  Philadelphia,  many 
years  ago.  A  dog  went  into  his  kitchen  and  stole  a  leg  of 
mutton,  and  on  learning  the  fact  the  old  Quaker  took  af- 
ter him,  up  the  street,  crying  out  in  a  loud  voice,  "bad 
dog,  bad  dog."  The  cry  of  "mad  dog"  was  immedi- 
ately taken  up  by  those  passing,  when  every  one  took 
after  him  and  very  soon  succeeded  in  killing  him.  When 
the  Quaker  arrived  and  found  that  the  crowd  had  killed 
him,  he  asked  why  they  had  done  so.  Why,  said  one, 
did  3^ou  not  cry  out  "mad  dog?"  no,  replied  the 
Quaker,  I  said  "  bad  dog,"  for  so  he  is  ;  he  stole  my 
meat.  So  it  is  with  the  Younger  Brothers  ;  they  have 
been  bad  during  the  war,  and  did,  possibly,  revenge  the 
murder  of  their  father  and  cruel  treatment  of  their 
mother,  but  further  than  this,  since  the  war  terminated, 
nothing  wrong  can  be  proven  against  them. 

For  some  time  after  the  occurrence  Cole  Younger  was 
accused  of  having  a  hand  in  the  Iowa  train  robbery, 
which  occurred  en  Monday  morning,  July  21st,  1873, 
while  it  can  be  proven  by  20  or  30  of  the  most  respect- 
able men  in  8t.  Clair  county,  Missouri,  that  he  was  at 
Monegaw  Springs  on  Sunday  afternoon,  the  20th  of  July, 
not  over  15  hours  before  the  robbery  took  place,  and 
could  not  possibly  have  been  there.  Did  he  possess  the 
wings  of  the  fleetest  bird  of  the  air,  he  could  not  have 
passed  from  Monegaw  Springs  to  Iowa,  to  the  place 
where  the  robbery  occurred. 

I  am  in  no  way  connected  with  the  Youngers,  by  fam- 
ily ties  or  blood  relation,  neither  have  I  any  sympathy 
with  men  who  I  believe  do  wrong,  but  I  think  that  jus- 
tice should  be  done  to  all,  and  therefore  have  penned 


254  MISCELLANEOUS. 

this  letter  for  your  work  about  to  be  published,  which^ 
«Dould  you  think  proper,  you  are  at  liberty  to  use. 
Kespectfully  Yours,  kc, 

B.  M.  O. 
To  A.  C.  Appier. 

THE  NEVADA  STAGE  EOEBEBY. 

About  the  10th  or  12th  of  August,  1873,  four 
brigands  stopped  a  stage  in  Nevada  Territory, 
which  carried  Wells,  Fargo  &  Co.'s  safe,  and 
robbed  it  of  a  large  sum  of  money.  Mr.  E. 
Baldwin,  Chief  Engineer  of  the  Davenport 
(low^a)  &  St.  Paul  Eailroad,  who  was  a  passen- 
ger on  the  stage,  gives  the  following  account  of 
the  robbery : 

Four  men  sprang  from  behind  rocks,  seized  the  lead- 
ers by  the  bit,  and  bade  the  driver  "get  down  from 
there."  It  was  some  time  before  the  passengers  could 
understand  the  interruption,  but  at  last  they  were  made 
to  comprehend  it  without  much  ceremony.  The  driver 
was  ordered  to  take  the  horses  from  the  coach  and  lead 
them  to  one  side.  He  obeyed.  Next  the  passengers 
were  told  to  "dismount"  and  seat  themselves  on  a  red- 
wood log.  As  each  of  the  robbers  held  a  double-bar- 
reled shot-gun,  and  swore  that  somebody's  brains  would 
be  spilled  unless  "you  step  right  lively  now,"  the  order 
was  obeyed  with  alacrity.  The  i)assengers  sat  still  as 
mice  under  the  cover  of  the  shot-guns,  and  silently 
watched  the  operations  of  the  robbers  in  getting  at  the 
contents  of  the  safe.     The  scoundrels  drilled  holes  about 


MISCELLANEOUS.  255 

the  lock,  and  elsewhere  in  the  door,  poured  powder  in 
the  openings,  tamped  them,  and  then  lighted  the  fuse. 
In  a  half  minute  there  was  a  thick  puli'  of  smoke,  a  dull 
heavy  sound,  and  there  lay  the  safe  open.  It  was  but 
the  work  of  a  minute  to  sack  the  bags  of  gold  and  pack- 
ages of  greenbacks,  and  then  the  robbers  ordered  the 
passengers  to  "mount."  The  travelers  obej^ed,  and  took 
their  seats  ;  then  the  driver  was  ordered  to  "  hitch  up, " 
and  he  did  as  he  was  told — and  was  requested  to  "  drive 
on  quick,  and  not  lag  once  for  a  mile."  And  the  four- 
horse  team  flew  away  from  the  locality  in  locomotive 
speed.  The  robbers  gobbled  between  $8,000  and  $12,- 
000. 

THE   QUINCY,    ILLINOIS,    BANK   KOBBEKY. 

The  night  of  the  12th  and  13th  of  February, 
1874,  the  First  National  Bank  of  Quincy,  Ilh- 
nois,  was  robbed  of  nearly  a  half  million  dol- 
lars. On  the  morning  of  the  13tli,  the  porter, 
on  going  into  the  bank,  discovered  that  the 
ceiling  and  walls  near  the  vault  were  badly 
shattered.  He  at  once  notihed  the  officials, 
when  an  investigation  was  made.  It  was  soon 
discovered  that  the  vault  door  could  not  be 
unlocked.  An  exploration  was  made  in  the 
second  story  of  the  building  v.diere  an  opening 
was  found  in  the  hall  floor  through  which  the 
burglars  had  descended  on  the  top  of  the  vaulfc. 
Further  examination  showed  that  a  hole  over 
three  feet  square  had  been  drilled  through  thr^e 


256  MISCELLANEOUS. 

feet  of  solid  masonry,  and  a  plate  of  boiler  iron 
two  feet  square  cut  from  the  lining  of  the  vault 
with  chilled  chisels.  ■  This  done  access  was  ob- 
tained to  the  interior  of  the  vault,  whe]'e  were 
two  safes,  one  containing  the  money  and  special 
deposits  of  the  bank,  and  the  other  government 
bonds  and  valuable  papers.  The  money  safe 
was  found  with  the  doors  blown  off  their  hinges 
and  depleted  of  all  its  contents,  save  a  bag  of 
gold.  There  was  in  it  $90,000  in  currency 
belonging  to  the  bank,  $200,000  in  x\dams 
county  bonds  worth  par,  and  special  deposits  of 
greenbacks  and  government  bonds  that  run  the 
total  up  to  $500,000.  The  other  safe  contain- 
ing valuable  papers  and  bonds  w^as  also  charged 
with  powder  and  blasted,  but  did  not  yield,  and 
Its  contents  were  safe. 

The  manner  of  working,  after  reaching  the 
interior  of  the  vault,  was  as  follows :  Powder 
was  drilled  into  the  cracks  around  and  between 
the  hinges  of  each  safe,  and  held  fast  by  the 
free  use  of  putty.  A  connection  fuse  was  then 
adjusted  to  set  both  blasts  off  at  once,  and  then 
passed  through  a  rubber  hose  to  the  top  of  the 
highest  safe,  where  a  small  pistol  was  screwed 
on  an  old  ledger  and  so  arranged  that  when 
it  was  discharged  it  set  off'  the  fuse.  The  pistol 
was  fired  bv  means  of  a  cord  which  led  from 


MISCELLANEOUS.  257 

the  vault  to  tlie  street,  and  thus  the  hurgiars 
*set  off  the  explosion  when  the  vicinity  of  the 
hank  was  clear  of  people.  Several  persons  in 
adjacent  huildings  heard  the  sound  and  felt  the 
concussion,  hut  thought  it  nothing  serious. 

We  helieve  it  was  not  charged  tliat  any  of 
the  Youngers  had  a  hand  in  this. 

THE    MARTLING,  MISSOURI,  SAFE   ROBBERY. 

On  tlie  29th  of  August,  1873,  the  safe  of 
Messrs.  Crowder,  Winn  &  Co.,  Commission 
Merchants  of  Marthng,  Southwest  Missouri, 
and  Agents  of  the  Adams'  Express  Company, 
was  blown  open  and  rohhed  of  about  f  4,000  in 
cash  and  some  silver  ware. 

THE    OSCEOLA,    MISSOURI,    SAVINGS   BANK. 

On  the  morning  of  the  14th  of  March,  1875, 
about  two  o'clock,  an  at':3mpt  was  made  to  rob 
the  Osceola  Savings  Banl^.,  at  Osceola,  St.  Clair 
county,  Missouri,  by  three  young  men  living 
in  the  vicinity  of  town,  named  James  Henfey, 
WiUiam  Henley  and  John  Longdon.  They  had 
also  taken  into  their  confidence  a  young  man 
hving  in  town  named  William  Hurt,  but  he  re- 
pented before  the  feat  was  attempted  to  be  ac- 
complished, and  conveyed  the  information  to 
Mr.  Wilham  O.  Mead,  the  Cashier  of  the  bank. 
Mr.  Mead  made  the  necessary  preparations  to 

Q 


258  MISCELLANEOUS. 

receive  the  thieves,  by  engaging  the  services  of 
some  half  dozen  men  and  having  them  secreted 
and  armed  for  the  occasion.  The  boys  were 
allowed  to  bore  off  the  lock  of  the  back  door, 
when  they  were  fired  upon  by  several  men  sta- 
tioned in  Masonic  Hall,  which  building  adjoins 
the  bank  building,  extending  some  twenty  feet 
further  back,  to  the  alley.  One  of  the  men, 
John  Longdon,  was  wounded,  and  captured 
shortly  afterwards,  and  one  other,  William 
Henley,  was  arrested  near  Fort  Scott,  Kansas, 
about  ten  days  afterwards.  An  ox  team  had 
been  procured  and  hitched  up,  with  which  they 
expected  to  carry  off  the  bank  safe,  it  not  being 
a  very  large  one,  yet  much  too  large  for  those 
boys  to  have  handled.  The  safe  was  in  the 
back  part  of  the  bank  building,  near  the  door. 
The  door  is  about  four  feet  from  the  ground, 
and  it  was  their  intention  to  back  the  wagon 
up  to  the  door  and  roll  the  safe  on  it.  The 
wagon  to  be  used  was  a  heavy  one,  belonging 
to  the  sawmill  of  Alton,  Sutherland  &  Co.,  and 
had  been  prepared  for  the  occasion  that  night, 
by  placing  heavy  oak  planks  on  it.  The  whole 
thing  w^as  admirably  planned,  and  worthy  of 
older  heads  and  hands  at  such  business.  It 
was  their  intention  to  convey  the  safe  some 
distance  ^own  the  river,  in  the  hills,  where  they 


MISCELLANEOUS.  259 

intended  to  break  it  open  and  secure  the  money 
it  contained,  about  }gl2,000.  Had  it  not 
been  for  young  Hurt,  who  divulged  the  plan, 
and  had  they  fully  succeeded  in  their  designs 
without  being  discovered,  it  is  certain  that  the 
Youngers  would  have  been  credited  with  this 
robbery. 

STOEE  BOBBED  NEAB  CLINTON,  MO. 

A  most  daring  robbery  occurred  at  the  store 
Mr.  D.  C.  Lambert,  twelve  miles  north  of 
Chnton,  Henry  county,  Missouri,  about  six 
o'clock  on  the  evening  of  the  13th  of  May, 
1875.  The  location  of  this  robbery,  as  the 
reader  will  perceive,  is  not  over  forty  miles  from 
Monegaw  Springs,  St.  Clair  county,  the  neigh- 
borhood where  the  Youngers  stay  when  in  this 
section  of  Missouri.  Two  men  entered  the 
store  and  called  for  cigars,  and  while  Mr.  Lam- 
bert's back  was  towards  them,  they  drew  their 
revolvers,  thrust  them  in  his  face,  and  com- 
manded him  to  "hold  up  his  hands."  Two 
more  men  then  entered,  drew  their  revolvers 
and  demanded  money.  Mr.  Lambert  then  gave 
them  all  he  had,  about  $150,  when  the  leader 
of  the  party  demanded  of  Lambert  that  he  dis- 
close the  whereabouts  of  some  $3,0()0  or  $4,000 
in  gold,  which  his  neighbors  said  he  had  secreted 


260  MISCELLANEOUS. 

somewhere,  on  failure  of  which  he  was  to  suffer 
death.  A  young  lady  happened  to  come  into 
the  store  about  this  time,  and  seeing  the  situa- 
tion of  affairs,  threw  herself  between  the 
robbers  and  Mr.  Lambert,  and  begged  of  them 
to  spare  his  life.  The  outlaws  then  discussed 
the  propriety  of  hanging  Lambert,  but  if  they 
really  had  any  intention  of  so  doing  did  not 
carry  it  into  execution.  About  this  time  an- 
other of  the  robbers,  who  had  remained  outside, 
politely  asked  two  ladies  and  two  gentlemen, 
who  were  playing  croquet  in  the  rear  of  the 
store  building,  to  step  inside,  which  they  did 
without  many  unnecessary  words,  on  discover- 
ing that  the  fellow  was  armed.  The  whole 
party  were  then  placed  under  guard  and  told  to 
keep  quiet,  but  one  of  the  scoundrels  remained 
on  watch  in  the  store,  while  each  door  of  the 
building  was  guarded  by  another  of  them.  The 
leader  then  made  a  thorough  search  of  the 
building,  examining  all  trunks,  boxes,  &c.,  but 
found  no  traces  of  the  $3,000  or  $4,000  he  spoke 
of.  He  found,  however,  three  revolvers,  one 
gun  and  $11  of  money  belonging  to  the  Shawnee 
postofhce,  all  of  wdiich  was  carried  off.  The 
party  also  helped  themselves  to  such  goods  as 
they  wanted.  The  loss  of  Mr.  Lambert,  in  all 
amounted  to  about  $e300.  They  remained  about 


MISCELLANEOUS.  261 

one  hour  and  a  half,  keeping  their  prisoners 
Under  guard  all  the  while,  until  they  were  all 
mounted,  when  they  rode  rapidly  off.  Every- 
thing was  conducted  so  cahnly  and  quietly,  that 
a  blacksmith  fifty  yards  distant  knew  nothing 
of  the  affair  until  the  robbers  left.  They  were 
all  young  men,  well  armed,  and  mounted  on 
splendid  animals.  This  robbery,  like  almost 
every  other  one  of  a  similar  character,  where 
great  boldness  and  skill  are  shown,  has  been 
charged  to  the  account  of  the  Younger  Brothers, 
although  neither  of  the  boys  had  been  seen  in 
the  State  for  six  months  previous.  No  clue  tc 
the  robbers  has  ever  been  obtained. 

PEOPOSED  PAEDON  OF  THE  YOUNGEES  AND  JAMES  BOYS. 

Gen.  Jones,  an  eminet  lawyer  of  Calloway 
county,  and  member  of  the  Missouri  House  of 
Eepresentatives,  introduced  the  following  into 
that  body  about  the  first  of  March,  1875,  which, 
however,  owing  probably  to  the  late  time  at 
which  it  was  presented,  failed  to  pass  the  Legis- 
lature. It  received  the  approval  of  the  Attorney- 
General,  as  well  as  many  able  lawyers  of  the 
State  of  Missouri.  The  following  is  the  full 
biU: 

Whereas,  Equality  is  the  essence  of  true  Democracy, 
and  no  distinctions   in  person   or  class  should   ever  be 


262  MISCELLANEOUS. 

made  by  law,  under  a  government  of  the  people  pos- 
sessed of  Tirtue,  intelligence  and  true  courage  ;  and 

Whereaii,  By  the  4th  section  of  the  11th  article  of  the 
Constitution  of  Missouri  all  persons  in  the  military  ser- 
vice of  the  United  States,  or  who  acted  under  the  au- 
thority thereof  in  this  State,  are  relieved  from  all  civil 
liability  and  all  criminal  punishment  for  all  acts  done 
by  them  siuce  the  1st  day  of  January,  A.  D.,  1861  ; 
and 

Whereas,  By  the  12th  section  of  the  said  11th  article 
of  said  Constitution,  provision  is  made  by  which  under 
certain  circumstances  may  be  seized,  transported  to,  in- 
dicted, tried  and  punished  in  distant  countries,  any  Con- 
federate or  other  person  under  band  of  despotic  pleasure, 
thereby  contravening  the  Constitution  of  the  United 
States  and  every  principle  of  enlightened  humanity  ; 
and 

Whereas,  Such  discrimination  evinces  a  want  of  manly 
generosity  and  statesmanship  on  the  part  of  the  party  im- 
posing, and  of  courage  and  manhood  on  the  part  of  the 
party  tamely  submitting  thereto. 

Whereas,  Under  the  outlawry  pronounced  against 
Jesse  W.  James,  Frank  James,  Coleman  Younger,  Rob- 
ert Younger  and  others,  who  gallantly  periled  their 
lives  and  their  all  in  the  defence  of  their  principles,  they 
are  of  necessity  made  desperate,  driven  as  they  are  from 
the  fields  of  honest  industry,  from  their  friends,  their 
families,  their  homes  and  their  country,  they  can  know 
no  law  but  the  law  of  self-preservation,  can  have  no  re- 
spect for  and  feel  no  allegiance  to  a  government  which 
forces  them  to  the  very  acts  it  professes  to  deprecate, 


MISCELLANEOUS.  263 

and  then  offer  a  bounty  for  their  apprehension,  and  arms 
foreign  mercenaries -^ith  power  to  capture  and  kill  them; 
and 

W/iprra.^,  Believing  these  men  too  brave  to  be  mean, 
too  generous  to  be  revengeful,  and  to(.)  gallant  and  hon- 
orable to  betray  a  friend  or  break  a  promise  ;  and  be- 
lieving farther  that  most,  if  not  all  the  offences  with 
whicli  they  are  charged  have  been  committed  by  others, 
and  perhaps  by  those  pretending  to  hunt  them,  or  by 
their  confederates  ;  that  their  names  are  and  have  been 
used  to  divert  suspicion  from  and  thereby  relieve  the 
actual  perpetrators  ;  that  the  return  of  these  men  to 
their  homes  and  friends  would  have  the  effect  of  greatly 
lessening  crime  in  our  State  by  turning  public  attention 
to  the  real  criminals,  and  that  common  justice,  sound 
policy  and  true  statesmanship  alike  demand  that  am- 
nesty should  be  extended  to  all  alike  of  both  parties  for 
all  acts  done  or  charged  to  have  been  done  during  the 
war  ;  therefore,  be  it 

Resolved  by  (he  House  of  Rejiresentatives,  the  Senate  con- 
curring therein  : 

That  the  Governor  of  the  State  be  and  he  is  hereby 
requested  to  issue  his  proclamation  notifying  the  said 
Jesse  W.  James,  Frank  James,  Coleman  Younger,  Eob- 
ert  Younger  and  James  Younger,  and  others,  that  full 
and  complete  amnesty  and  pardon  will  be  granted  them 
for  all  acts  charged  or  committed  by  them  during  the 
late  civil  war,  and  inviting  them  peaceably  to  return  to 
their  respective  homes  in  this  State  and  there  quietly  to 
remain,  submitting  themselves  to  such  proceedings  as 
may  be  instituted  against  them  by  the  courts  for  all  of- 


264  MISCELLANEOUS. 

fences  charged  to  have  been  coniuiitted  sin<:f^  ^aid  war, 
promising  and  guaranteeing  to  them  and  eac>i  of  them 
full  protection  and  a  fair  trial  therein,  and  that  full  pro- 
tection shall  be  given  them  from  the  tiiKr*.  of  ♦Jieir  en- 
trance into  the  State  and  his  notice  thovcof  under  said 
proclamation  and  invitation.  ' 


THE  JAMES  AND  YOUNGEES. 


A  Plea  for  Mercy  from  a   Upion  Soldier  and  a  Re- 
publican. 

8t.  Louis,  March  15,  1875. 
To  THE  Editor  of  the  Globe  : 

In  your  issue  of  last  Saturday,  the  13th,  I  read  with 
much  interest  a  communication  against  the  granting  of 
any  amnesty  to  the  James  and  Youngers.  It  was  post- 
marked Charleston,  Mo.,  and  signed  "Confederate." 
For  the  same  reasons  that  "  Confederate  "  selected  the 
Globe  as  his  -  ««fidium  for  reaching  the  public  ear,"  so 
do  I,  a  Republican,  a  Federal  soldier,  who  belonged  to 
the  Second  Colorado  Cavalry,  who  fought  the  James  and 
Youngers  on  twenty  different  occasions,  who  knows 
something  of  their  history,  and  who  believes  as  firmly 
as  he  believes  in  truth  and  justice  that  they  have 
been  lied  upon  by  "public  opinion,  slandered,  and  put  in 
the  attitude  of  the  traditional  dog  who  has  to  be  hung 
because  he  has  an  ill  name. 


^nSCEf.LANKOtJS.  265 

I  do  not  propose  to  speak  for  the  Dispatch,  or  defend 
the  DUjjatrh — for  the  Dispatrh  is  perfectly  competent  to 
do  that  for  itself — but  I  do  ask  the  Globe  to  give  both 
sides  of  this  subject,  as  I  know  the  Globe  is  always  will- 
ing to  do  for  every  question.  As  it  happens,  I  claim  to 
know  as  much  about  these  famous  men  as  "Confede- 
rate," although  my  opportunities  for  information  were 
not  as  favorable  as  his,  probably,  because  of  the  color  of 
the  uniform  that  clothed  each  of  us  ;  but  one  thing  I  am 
absolute  in  my  belief  of,  and  that  is  it  is  time  for  the  war 
to  be  over  in  truth.  Many  things  were  done  on  the  bor-^ 
der  by  both  sides  that  should  have  been  forgotten  when 
peace  came,  and  when  an  impartial  history  comes  to  be 
written,  it  will  be  found  that  among  the  Guerrillas  who 
wore  the  blue,  and  the  Guerrillas  who  wore  the  gray, 
there  was  not  even  the  difference  of  a  single  desperate 
deed  the  less  on  either  side. 

To  answer  "  Confederate  "  as  I  think  he  should  be  an- 
swered, it  will  be  necessary  for  me  to  ask  sufficient  space 
at  your  hands  to  take  up  his  charges  seriatim,  and  dis- 
pose of  them  by  such  references  to  establish  facts  as  may 
be  verified  by  any  impartial  man  who  chooses  to  make  an 
investigation  of  them.  His  first  reference  is  to  the  rob- 
bery of  the  Gallatin  Bank,  in  Davies  county,  Missouri  ; 
the  killing  of  its  cashier,  Captain  John  W.  Sheets,  and 
the  subsequent  pursuit  of  the  robbers  into  Clay  county. 
I  was  in  Kansas  City  at  the  time  this  took  place.  In- 
deed, from  the  mustering  out  of  our  regiment  until  1873, 
I  lived  in  various  portions  of  Jackson  county,  and 
among  the  worst  and  most  desperate  of  the  survivors  of* 
the  bands  of  Quantrell,  Todd  and  Anderson — men  whom 


MISCELLANEOUS.  266 

I  had  fought  daily,  sometimes  getting  the  best  and  some- 
times the  worst  of  the  fighting — and  I  never  saw  a  more 
peaceful  and  law-abiding  set  of  people,  and  never  people 
more  willing  to  let  b^^-gones  be  by-gones.  I  know  that 
the  Jameses  were  accused  of  this  attack  on  the  bank, 
but  I  know  further,  that  they  pubHshed  in  the  Kansas 
City  Times  nearly  a  column  of  affidavits  from  some  of 
the  best  known  and  most  respectable  ^citizens  of  Clay 
county,  attesting  their  innocence  of  this  charge.  One  of 
these  affidavits  was  signed  by  a  well  known  Justice  of 
the  Peace,  and  another  by  the  present  Sheriff  of  the 
county,  Captain  John  C.  Groom.  I  give  his  name  so 
that  he  may  be  referred  to  if  anybody  so  desires.  The 
affidavits  are  positive  in  the  declaration  that  Jesse  and 
Frank  James  were  seen  and  talked  to  only  a  few  hours 
before  and  after  the  robbery  was  perpetrated,  and  that  it 
was  a  physical  impossibility  for  them  to  have  been  in 
Kearney  one  hour,  and  eighty  odd  miles  off  in  Gallatin 
the  next,  and  back  again  eighty  odd  miles  in  Kearney 
the  third  hour.  These  affidavits  are  on  file,  and  were 
sworn  to  and  executed  by  as  truthful  men  as  there  are  in 
Missouri. 

The  next  charge  is  made  against  the  Youngers,  and  a 
reference  is  made  to  the  fight  in  8t.  Clair  county,  in 
which  John  Younger  had  been  killed.  Now,  John 
Younger  had  never  been  even  accused  of  having  a  hand 
in  any  robbery.  No  reward  was  out  for  him.  Coleman 
and  James  Younger  had,  but  one  hundred  good  citizens 
of  St.  Clair  county  would  have  come  forward  at  anytime 
to  John  Younger's  constant  presence  at  home.  He  was 
the  mainstay  of  a  family  of  helpless  girls.     The  father 


MISCELLANEOUS.  267 

had  been  killed  at  the  beginning  of  the  war  by  Kansas 
men.  The  mother  had  been  forced,  with  a  pistol  at  her 
head,  to  set  fire  to  her  own  house,  and  to  go  on  foot  for 
shelter  through  a  deep  snow  to  a  neighbor's.  From  this 
exposure,  a  disease  was  contracted  which  soon  put  her  in 
her  grave.  Acting  under  the  belief  that  the  Youngers 
had  been  engaged  in  the  robbery  of  the  Iron  Mountain 
Railroad,  at  Gad's  Hill,  a  posse  of  detectives  went  into 
St.  Clair  county  in  search  of  them.  The  hunted  men — 
having  the  same  love  of  life  that  is  implanted  in  the 
breast  of  everybody — turned  out  to  hunt  their  pursuers. 
It  was  the  intention  of  the  Youngers  to  disarm  the  de- 
tectives, and  for  this  purpose  called  upon  them  to  sur- 
render, having  first  "  got  the  drop  "  on  them.  It  was 
done,  apparently,  the  detectives  threw  down  their  arms; 
but  from  all  the  evidence  now  before  me,  I  am  certain 
that  Lull  was  so  excited  when  he  shot  John  Younger  that 
he  did  not  know  what  he  was  doing.  He  had  but  a  sin- 
gle-barrel pistol  ;  he  could  only  hope,  at  the  best,  to  kill 
one  of  the  brothers,  while  the  other  brother,  unharmed 
and  heavily  armed,  would  be  absolutely  certain  to  have 
revenge.  Lull  had  been  the  first  man  to  call  upon  his 
comrades  to  throw  down  their  arms,  and  had  himself 
cast  oft*  a  brace  of  navy  revolvers,  still  retaining  a  derrin- 
ger, however,  which  he  used  when  John  Y^ounger,  sup- 
posing the  whole  party  without  weapons,  had  quite  care- 
lessly uncovered  them  with  his  double-barreled  shot-gun. 
If  Lull  had  meant  to  fight,  he  should  have  fought  just  as 
soon  as  the  Younger  party  came  in  sight  ;  but  instead  of 
doing  this  he  called  for  a  surrender,  and  set  the  example 
himself  of  throwing  his  pistols  on  the  ground,  and  then 


268  MISCELLANEOUS. 

treacherously  shooting  one  of  the  Youngers  after  he  had 
been  the  means  of  putting  the  lives  of  his  own  comrades 
in  desperate  jeopardy.  It  was  not  war,  common 
sense,  fair  dealing  as  between  friends,  nor  the  act  of  a 
brave  man.  James  Younger,  when  he  saw  his  brother 
John  shot  down,  had  but  one  thing  to  do — kill.  And  he 
did.  He  was  not  the  assailant  in  the  light  that  "  Con- 
federate "  puts  it.  He  was  merely  endeavoring  to  dis- 
arm men  and  keep  them  from  killing  him  who  had 
openly  boasted  of  their  intentions,  and  who  were  work- 
ing for  blood  money,  merely  because  it  was  the  suspicion 
at  Pinkerton's  headquarters  that  the  Youngers  had 
robbed  the  Gad's  Hill  railroad  train. 

And  now,  Mr.  Editor,  a  word  or  two  in  relation  to  this 
Gad's  Hill  robber3\  Sometime  last  fall  Governor  Wood- 
son wrote  to  Mr.  Thomas  Allen,  as  I  have  been  reliably 
and  semi-officially  informed,  and  stated  to  him  that  he 
knew  the  whereabouts  of  the  Youngers,  and  that  if  he, 
Allen,  would  furnish  the  necessary  affidavit  to  the  effect 
that  they  had  robbed  his  train,  or  that  he  believed  they 
had,  he  would  have  them  arrested  at  once.  Mr.  Allen 
replied  that  he  had  employed  able  detectives  himself, 
that  Pinkerton's  detectives  had  also  been  at  work  on  the 
case,  that  a  thorough  examination  of  all  the  circum- 
stances attending  the  outrage  had  been  made,  and  that, 
so  far  from  making  an  affidavit  that  the  Youngers  were 
at  Gad's  Hill,  he  could  much  more  conscientiously  make 
an  affidavit  that  they  had  not  been  there.  And  yet  for 
this  robbery  "  Confederate"  denounces  them  without 
knowing  a  single  fact  of  the  case,  except  what  was  pub- 
lished in  the  flaming  sensation  reports  of  the  newspapers, 


MTSdElJANF.OflS.  269 

and  yet  for  this  robbery  thov  and  tho  James  brothers  are 
made  notorious  from  one  extent  of  the  hmd  to  the  other. 
I  ncA^er  met  eitl^er  of  these  men  except  on  the  battle 
field.  They  were  with  Jo.  Shelby  in  1874,  with  his 
notorious  advance,  led  by  Arthur  McCoy  and  the  quiet 
and  desperate  Jim  Wood,  now  Circuit  Clerk  of  Pettis 
county,  and  I  was  in  Captain  Kingsbury's  company,  of 
the  Second  Colorado.  We  held  the  rear  of  Curtis'  re- 
treating division,  which,  under  Jim  Lane,  had  been 
driven  with  some  confusion  from  Lexington  by  General 
Shelby.  Our  regiment  and  this  advance  of  Shelby's  met 
hand-to-hand  this  side  of  Independence,  about  four 
miles.  It  was  a  desperate  fight.  Nothing  could  stop 
Shelby's  charge.  We  killed  George  Todd  there,  one  of 
the  worst  guerrillas  the  world  ever  produced.  Shelby's 
men  killed  our  Major,  Smith,  a  noble  and  brave  soldier. 
We  kept  falling  back  and  fighting,  and  they  kept  crowd- 
ing us  and  fignting  until  darkness  stopped  the  slaughter. 
I  under tand  that  on  the  stafi'  of  the  DisjMtch — the  paper 
which  "  Confederate  "  condemns  rather  strongly  for  its 
advocacy  of  amnest}^ — is  one  of  Shelby's  soldiers.  If 
that  be  so,  he  will  bear  me  out  in  the  assertion  that 
never  brave  men  met  braver  men  than  when  the  Sec- 
ond Colorado  and  Shelby's  leading  regiment  came  to- 
gether at  intervals  for  one  long  autumn  day  in  1864. 
And  now  I,  as  a  Federal  soldier,  join  with  the  Dispatch 
in  asking  amnesty  for  these  men.  It  is  the  best  thing 
that  can  be  done.  Kansas  passed  an  oblivion  act  for  all 
her  soldiers,  and  I  tell  you  Lane,  Jennison,  Montgomery, 
Goss  and  Cleveland  did  things  in  Missouri  and  Arkansas 
that  could  never  have  been  surpassed  by  things  done  by 


270  MISCELLANEOUS. 

Anderson,  Quantrell,  Todr],  Poole,  Thrailkill,  the  Jameses 
or  the  Youngers. 

I  know  that  when  the  war  was  over,  the  Youngers 
came  home  and  tried  to  live  like  the  balance  of  the  guer- 
rillas on  both  sides.  Vigilant  Committees  drove  them 
away.  Many  of  their  old  comrades  were  waylaid,  shot, 
and  assassinated.  Some  who  surrendered  to  take  a  trial 
for  charges  preferred  against  them,  were  hung  at  night 
by  armed  and  masked  men.  It  was  the  same  case  with 
the  Jameses.  They  were  waylaid;  one  of  them  was  badly 
wounded  from  the  brush,  their  mother's  life  and  the  lives 
of  their  families  were  placed  in  peril,  and,  of  course,  these 
men  had  to  do  the  next  best  thing,  they  had  to  put  on 
arms  and  defend  themselves.  Eveiy  robbery  committed 
in  the  West  for  the  past  eight  years  has  been  put  upon 
them.  And,  as  an  illustration  of  the  unfairness  and  in- 
justice of  the  newspapers — the  only  real  manufacturers, 
after  all,  of  public  opinion — it  will  be  only  necessary  to 
recall  the  fact  that,  on  the  day  the  train  was  robbed  at 
Muncie,  Kansas,  a  bank  was  also  robbed  at  Corinth. 
Miss.,  and  one  in  Tennessee.  In  each  case  the  telegraph 
reported  the  Jameses  and  Youngers  present,  and,  from 
that  day  to  this,  a  contradiction  of  the  hurtful  lie  has 
never  been  made  nor  never  will. 

I  claim  that  these  men  should  have  a  chance,  and  I 
have  a  right  to  urge  this,  knowing  that  men  with  war 
records  just  as  bad,  on  our  side,  have  received  rewards 
and  promotions.  It  cannot  be  denied  truthfully  by  any- 
body that  they  tried  to  live  in  peace  after  the  war  closed, 
and  that  they  were  not  permitted  to  do  so.  As  soon  as 
they  were  forced  into  the  bnish  by  proscription,  every- 


MISCELLANEOUS.  271 

thing  mean  and  outrageous  was  laid  at  their  door.  The 
State  can  afford  to  give  them  a  chance  now,  and  thus 
break  up  a  whole  band  of  thieves  and  robbers  who  are 
committing  depredations  •>  ^hdr  names. 

Republican. 


THE  BANK  KOBBEEY. 


About  2  o'clock  on  the  afternoon  of  Septem- 
ber 7th,  1876,  eight  men  entered  the  town  of 
Northfield,  Minnesota,  and  proceeded  to  the 
bank.  Three  entered  it  and  sprang  over  the 
counter,  and  ordered  the  cashier,  J.  L.  Hay- 
wood, with  a  knife  at  his  throat,  to  open  the 
vault.  At  the  same  time,  all  persons  in  the 
bank,  A.  E.  Bunker,  cashier,  his  assistant  and 
Frank  Wilcox,  clerk,  were  ordered  to  hold  up 
their  hands.  Mr.  Haywood  refused  to  obey 
orders  and  open  the  money  vault.  His  neck 
had  been  slightly  scratched  with  a  knife.  Still 
persisting,  the  robbers  put  the  muzzle  of  a  pistol 
to  his  right  temple  and  fired.  Haywood  fell 
dead.  They  then  turned  to  Mr.  Bunker  and 
ordered  him  to  open  the  vault.  He  said  he  did 
not  know  the  combination.  As  the  robbers 
made  demonstrations  towards  him  he  ran  out 
the  back  door.  They  fired  at  him,  shooting 
him  through  the  shoulder.     Mr.  Wilcox  was 


274  MISCELLANEOUS. 

not  interfered  with.  While  this  Avas  transpir- 
ing within,  people  of  the  city  without  were 
doing  good  work.  Two  of  the  robbers  were 
killed  outright  and  one  wounded.  The  wounded 
man  was  taken  away  by  his  confederates.  One 
of  their  horses  was  killed  and  one  captured. 
The  robbers  did  not  get  into  the  vault,  nor  did 
they  hnd  the  cashier's  drawer  except  the  nickel 
drawer,  and  a  handful  of  nickels  taken  from  it 
was  thrown  to  the  floor.  Four  of  the  eight 
came  to  town  before  midday,  and  waited  on  the 
north  side  of  the  bridge  till  the  other  four  came 
into  town  from  Dundas.  The  men  were  all 
well  mounted  and  armed  with  navy  revolvers, 
with  cartridges,  in  belts  around  their  bodies. 
When  the  robbers  crossed  the  bridge  entering 
town  they  drew  revolvers,  and  putting  their 
horses  into  full  gallop  dashed  through  the  street, 
shouting  to  the  people  on  the  walks  to  get  in- 
side. While  tlie  three  men  were  engaged  in 
the  bank  the  others  stood  ou  the  street  threat- 
ening to  shoot  any  one  who  interfered,  and  firing 
several  harmless  shots.  Pistols  and  guns  were 
quickly  secured  by  citizens,  and  a  young  man 
named  Wheeler  from  the  window  of  the  oppo- 
site building  picked  ofl"  one  of  the  villains, 
shooting  him  through  the  heart  Another  shot 
thought  to  be  from  Wheeler  innnediately  after 


MISCELLANEOUS.  275 

prostrated  anotlier,  when  the  robbers  rnoiivited 
their  horses  and  beat  a  retreat.  A  third  rob- 
ber was  hit  but  escaped.  A  band  of  fifty  (citi- 
zens was  organized,  and  headed  by  Wlieeler 
started  in  pursuit. 

On  the  8th  fourteen  of  tlie  citizens  in  pursuit 
of  the  robbers  overtook  them  late  in  tlje  after- 
noon in  a  ravine  a  short  distance  from  Sliields- 
ville,  when  a  number  of  shots  were  exchanged, 
kilhng  one  of  the  horses  of  the  pursued.  In  all 
about  400  men  were  j^ursuing  them.  Gov. 
Pillsburg  offered  a  reward  of  $1,000  for  each  of 
the  robbers.  Intense  excitement  prevails 
throughout  that  whole  section  of  country. 

A  dispatch  of  the  10th  states  that  the  citizens 
are  in  hot  pursuit,  with  a  prospect  of  capturing 
or  killing  the  band. 

On  the  12th  the  horses  and  saddles  of  the 
robbers  were  found  in  the  timber  near  Cleve- 
land. 

The  pursuit  was  continued  from  day  to  day 
until  the  afternoon  of  the  21st,  when  word  was 
received  from  Sheriff  McDonald,  of  Sioux  City, 
that  he  had  killed  one  of  the  robbers  and  cap- 
tured three  others,  two  of  whom  were  mortally 
wounded;  his  party  consisting  of  about  150 
men.  They  were  captured  ilear  Madelia,  Wa- 
tonwan'county,  Minnesota.     They  were  pur- 


276  MISCELLANEOUS. 

sued  to  a  swamp,  which  was  completely 
oUiTOiinded  and  the  men  gradually  closed  in 
upon  them,  keeping  up  a  continuous  fire,  which 
was  returned  by  the  four  robbers  until  one  of 
their  number  was  killed  and  two  others  sup- 
posed to  be  mortallj^  wounded,  and  then  only 
did  they  surrender.  After  being  taken  prison- 
ers, two  of  them  confessed  to  the  Sheriff  that 
they  w^ere  the  Younger  Brothers,  but  refused 
to  tell  who  their  dead  comrade  was. 

In  the  afternoon  of  the  22d,  one  of  the  editors 
of  the  St.  Paid  Pioneer  Press  went  to  Madelia 
and  interviewed  the  Bandits.     He  says : 

"  I  first  called  on  Cole  and  James  Younger, 
who  occupy  a  bed  together.  Both  are  terribly 
wounded,  and  their  faces  much  disfigured. 
They  certainly  do  not  look  like  such  despera- 
does as  they  are.  Cole,  who  has  bright  red 
whiskers,  had  his  right  eye  bandaged,  and  said 
he  was  sufi'ering  from  seven  wounds.  James 
has  a  fearful  looking  mouth,  the  lower  jaw 
bone  being  shattered.  I  told  them  I  represen- 
ted the  Pioneer  Press,  and  asked  if  they  wished 
to  say  anything  to  the  public.  Cole  was  much 
obliged,  and  asked  if  I  would  kindly  express 
their  thanks  to  the  citizens  of  Madelia,  who 
had  treated  them  with  wonderful  kindness. 
He  expressed  his  surprise  at  such  treatment, 


MISCELLANEOUS.  277 

and  was  grateful  for  it.  The  doctor  would  not 
allow  them  to  talk  much,  and  as  curious  people 
were  passing  in  and  out,  I  left  them  to  call  on 
Bob.  These  men  suffer  much,  and  their  talk 
is  sometimes  delirious.  Both  are  brave,  never 
moaning,  and  are  recei^dng  every  possible 
attention.  I  found  Bob,  as  he  asked  to  be 
called  for  short,  lying  in  bed,  shackled  and  suf- 
fering from  a  wound  in  the  arm  received  at 
Northfield,  and  from  a  wound  in  the  breast  got 
yesterday.  He  was  pleasant,  cheerful  and 
communicative.  He  is  a  six-foot  boy,  23  years 
old,  and  as  fine  looking  a  specimen  of  manhood 
as  I  ever  saw.  He  has  a  kind  expression,  and 
speaks  in  a  low,  gentle  tone,  using  the  best  of 
language — no  oaths  or  slang.  He  w^as  willing 
to  talk  of  himself,  but  positively  dechned  to  say 
anything  of  the  movements  of  the  other  men. 
I  gave  him  a  cigar,  for  which  he  was  very 
grateful,  and  arose  to  smoke  w^hile  he  conversed. 
He  said  he  had  tried  a  desperate  game  and  lost. 
They  were  rough  boys  and  used  to  rough  work, 
and  must  abide  by  the  consequences.  He  was 
inclined  to  think  Haywood  w^as  more  frightened 
than  brave.  He  was  in  the  bank,  and  said  the 
shooting  of  the  cashier  was  an  impulse  of  pas- 
sion on  the  part  of  the  man  who  shot  him.  He 
said  they  all  deeply  regretted  it.     They  could 


278  MISCELLANEOUS. 

have  picked  off  many  citizens,  as  all  were  dead 
shots,  hut  did  not  desire  to  do  murder.  He 
would  not  say  who  shot  Haywood.  He  said 
the  witnesses  in  Northfield  undoiibtedly  knew. 
This  was  in  answer  to  the  question :  Did  the 
robber  killed  yesterday  shoot  him?  Of  course, 
he  regretted  his  situation,  but  all  the  chances 
were  weighed  before  starting  in.  He  had 
looked  over  the  other  banks  before  deciding, 
and  knew  all  about  those  in  the  large  places, 
and  wished  now  he  had  undertaken  one  of 
them,  as  the  chance  to  retreat  was  much  better 
in  a  small  place.  At  Shieldsville  they  fright- 
ened the  boys  badly,  but  did  not  shoot  to  kill 
anybody.  They  could  have  easily  shot  several. 
They  staid  in  the  woods  about  Kilkenny  Thurs- 
day night,  when  they  crossed  the  ford  at  Little 
Cannon.  They  knew  the  guards  had  run,  but 
did  not  know  how  many.  They  moved  back 
into  the  woods,  but  started  soon  to  make  a 
crossing  before  the  guards  were  reinforced. 
They  camped  Friday  night  where  the  horses 
were  found.  They  left  at  daylight,  made  a  lit- 
tle headway,  stopped  on  a  sort  of  a  peninsula, 
probably  half  a  mile  from  the  German  church, 
but  part  of  a  day.  They  made  a  fire  and  took 
comfort.  They  shot  a  pig  and  a  calf,  both  in 
the  head,  but  they  refused  to  die,  and  they  dare 


MISCEr,LANEOUS.  279 

not  fire  much.  Tliey  pushed  on  Sunday  night 
until  midnight,  and  camped  in  Marysburgh. 
They  heard  the  church-bell  strike  six,  and 
thought  it  was  a  mile  away.  They  made  a  fire 
there  and  had  a  good  meal  of  corn  and  potatoes. 
Monday  they  made  good  headway.  At  night 
they  camped  in  a  field  in  the  bushes.  Twice 
they  were  alarmed  by  people  passing  near, 
though  they  did  not  go  to  Indian  Lake,  as  sup- 
posed by  Sheriff  Davis.  They  said  Dunning 
took  a  solemn  oath  not  to  reveal  having  seen 
them.  They  would  not  have  shot  him  under 
any  circumstances,  and  did  not  tie  him  in  the 
w^oods  from  human  feelings,  as  they  feared  he 
would  not  be  found,  and  would  die  there. 
When  passing  through  Mankato  the  steam- 
Avhistle  of  th^  oil-mill  blew  midnight,  and 
startled  them.  They  hid  awhile  and  then 
passed  on,  and  did  not  hear  or  see  the  guards 
at  the  bridge.  After  crossing,  they  got  four 
watermelons  and  had  a  feast.  He  said  they  in- 
tended to  call  around  some  day  and  pay  the 
gentleman  for  them.  They  got  two  old  hens 
and  one  spring  chicken  at  a  house  near  by,  and 
in  fifteen  minutes  would  have  had  a  good 
breakfast,  but  they  were  alarmed  by  shouting, 
either  of  men  on  the  railroad  train  or  by  pursu- 
ers.     They  saw  one  man   looking  for    boot- 


280,  MISCELLANEOUS. 

tracks,  but  did  not  think  they  were  pursuers, 
but  ran  up  a  bank.  It  was  the  closest  call 
they  had .  They  did  not  cross  the  Blue  Earth 
river  then,  but  did  durnig  the  day.  They  then 
kept  on  through  the  Avoods.  Tavo  men  then 
left,  and,  as  the  pursuit  was  directed  after 
them,  they  had  an  easier  time.  He  blamed 
himself  for  the  capture,  as  he  was  overcome  by 
drow^siness  and  insisted  on  remaining  in  the 
field,  while  the  others  wished  to  keep  on. 
They  would  not  leave  him;  if  they  had  gone: 
haK  a  mile  they  w^ould  not  have  been  caught.- 
He  declined  saying  anything  about  his  previous- 
life.  He  said  they  had  no  regular  leader.  Every 
man  expected  to  do  his  w^ork,  w^hatever  it  was. 
"  His  wound  is  in  the  elbow  joint  of  the  right 
arm,  the  joint  being  fractured,  and  he  cannot 
straighten  the  arm  nor  control  the  fingers. 
He  is  very  pohte ;  talks  w^hen  questioned,  but 
not  obtrusive,  and  is  so  mild-mannered  that  he 
w^ould  make  a  good  impression  on  anybody. 
He  show^s  much  gratitude  for  his  good  treat- 
ment, and  fears  to  give  trouble.  He  says  they 
were  all  tough,  and  could  have  endured  much 
longer.  He  insisted  that  it  was  his  own  fault 
that  they  w^ere  captured,  as  his  lagging  gave 
them  away.  He  says  the  men  who  captured 
them  were  brave  fellows. 


MISCELLANEOUS.  281 

The  dead  bandit  is  a  man  of  very  marked 
.  physiognomy,  coal  black  hair,  whiskers,  mous- 
tache and  eye-brows.  His  face  shows  great 
determination.  He  must  have  been  killed  in- 
stantly. On  his  body  were  found  a  compass, 
state  map  and  pocket-book,  with  $5.  Two  of 
the  others  had  the  same  amount,  and  James 
Younger  had  $150.  Cole  had  a  pocket-book 
and  compass.  None  had  watches.  Their 
clothes  were  teiribly  used  up.  All  were  well 
supplied  by  the  citizens.  Bob  says  the  coats 
found  in  the  camp  at  Mankato  belonged  to 
him.  They  were  making  due  west  as  near  as 
possible — he  would  not  say  where  to.  Around 
the  face  of  the  dead  man  flowers  had  been 
placed  by  some  lady,  and  others  are  scattered 
on  his  breast.  The  swollen  features  present  a 
horrible  sight.  Barton  had  agreed  to  take  the 
prisoners  to  St.  Paul,  but  since  arriving  he  has 
changed  his  mind,  and  will  proceed  directly  to 
Faribault  by  way  of  Mankato,  leavdng  here  at 
5:45  A.  M.  The  body  of  the  dead  robber  goes 
by  the  same  train  to  St.  Paul  to  be  embalmed. 
The  trip  will  be  hard  on  the  wounded  men,  par- 
ticularly the  one  shot  in  the  jaw.  He  suffers 
much.  The  doctors  here  object  to  moving 
him,  but  the  men  are  plucky  and  will  go  all 
right.     The  town  is  full  of  people,  but  all  quiet. 


282  MISCELLANEOUS. 

No  one  is  admitted  to  the  hotel,  which  is 
strongly  guarded.  When  found,  the  robbers 
had  pieces  of  underclothing  tied  on  their  feet  in 
place  of  stockings.  Cole  Younger's  toe  nails 
fell  off  when  his  boots  w^ere  removed.  He  told 
the  doctor  he  did  not  care  for  himself,  if  dead 
all  would  be  over  in  live  minutes ;  was  anxious 
about  his  brother,  and  told  him  to  cheer  up. 
He  asked  the  doctor  if  he  would  die.  While 
his  wounds  were  being  dressed  he  did  not  flinch 
nor  move  a  muscle.  He  says  that  wdien  the 
two  comrades  left  they  gave  them  most  of  the 
money,  watches,  rings  and  valuables,  thinking 
their  chances  best.'' 

ANOTHER  INTEEVIEW  WITH  THE  EOBBERS. 

The  editor  of  the  St.  Peter  Tribune  went  to 
Madelia  Thursday,  and  from  an  extra  issued 
yesterday  Ave  extract  the  following  account  of 
an  interview^  with  Bob  Younger: 

He  is  a  man  fully  six  feet  high,  well  built, 
sandy  complexion,  and  has  a  pleasant  face. 
We  should  i^ick  him  out  of  any  crowd  as  a  kind- 
hearted  man  whom  we  should  expect  would 
grant  a  favor  readily.  He  conversed  freely  and 
answered  most  of  the  questions  put  to  him 
without  apparent  reserve. 

He  admitted  that  the  party  were  engaged  in 


miscellanp:ous.  283 

the  Northfield  robbery,  and  in  reply  to  our 
question  why  they  kihed  the  cashier,  he  said : 
''It  was  a  d — d  fool  trick."  We  asked  him  if 
they  hadn't  a  rough  time  in  Minnesota,  and  he 
replied  that  "he  had  never  been  in  anything 
hke  it  before."  We  also  asked  him  why  they 
selected  the  Northfield  bank  to  rob  in  preference 
to  others.  His  reply  w^as  that  they  thought 
there  w^as  more  money  to  be  had  there — that 
in  Mankato  there  were  three  banks  and  the 
money  w^as  too  much  divided.  In  St.  Peter 
he  thought  they  w^ouldn't  have  got  much. 

A  Madelia  lady  called  to  see  him  and  told 
him  she  was'  glad  he  fell  into  Christian  hands, 
and  would  be  well  taken  care  of,  and  he  said  he 
was  very  grateful  for  it,  but  could  not  say  he 
deserved  it. 

"Circumstances,"  he  said,  "  sometimes  make 
men  what  they  are.  If  it  had  not  been  for  the 
war!  might  have  been  something,  but  as  it  is, 
I  am  what  I  am . "      " 

Cole  Younger  said  to  the  sheriff : 

"  Are  you  the  sheriff?  "  and  he  rephed, "  Yes." 

Cole  then  replied:  "You  will  get  the  reward 
without  doubt,  but  I  w^ant  to  ask  one  favor  of 
you.  If  any  of  them  cow^ardly  sons  of  b — s  of 
detectives  come  here  don't  let  them  in  to  see 
us ;  I  don't  want  to  see  them  nor  have  to  talk 
to  them." 


284  MISCELLANEOUS. 

He  also  told  Mr.  Estes  that  if  they  had 
chosen  they  could  have  shot  liim  and  several 
others,  but  did  not  desire  to  kill  any  more  than 
they  could  help,  although  if  they  had  seen  any 
of  the  blue-coated  police  after  them  they  would 
have  picked  them  off,  for  they  claim  they  can 
shoot  with  accuracy  four  hundred  yards. 

Soon  after  their  wounds  were  dressed,  Cole 
Younger  seemed  to  be  soliloquizing  to  himself, 
and  was  heard  to  say,  "  I  don't  believe  it — I 
don't  believe  it."  Upon  being  asked  what  he 
did  not  believe,  he  continued:  ''Byron,  says, 
'  Death  is  the  end  of  all  suffering — the  begin- 
ning of  the  great  day  of  nothingness;'  but  I 
don't  beheve  it." 

Among  other  things  learned  from  them,  they 
stated  that  the  man  Dunning,  whom  they  made 
captive  on  the  13th  near  Shaubut's  if  he  had  a 
spark  of  manhood,  would  never,  after  the  solemn 
oath  he  took,  have  exposed  them.  They  say 
they  passed  through  Mankato  Wednesday 
evening,  the  13th  inst.,  and  the  whistle  at  the 
oil  mill  was  blown  just  as  they  were  going  by. 
They  supposed  they  were  seen  and  the  whistle 
was  to  give  the  alarm,  so  they  w^ent  in  back  of 
the  mill.  They  say  they  have  never  before 
been  taken  prisoners — not  one  of  them. 

Capt,  McDonough,  Chief  of  Pohce,  St.  Louis, 


MISCELLANEOUS.  285 

accompanied  by  several  ofcliers  who  had  known 
the  Youngers  several  years  ago,  visited  them  to 
identify  them.  It  has  been  delinitely  ascer- 
tained that  Cole  and  Robert  Younger  are  cer- 
tainly captured,  but  James  Younger  was  not  in 
the  party.  They  arrived  in  8t.  Paul  on  Sunday 
morning,  bringing  with  them  accurate  descrip- 
tions of  all  of  the  famous  gang,  and  pictures  of 
most  of  the  gang.  They  identified  at  once  the 
body  of  the  dead  man  as  that  of  Charley  Pitts. 
Those  wdio  looked  upon  the  picture  they  brought 
of  that  desperate  looking  bandit,  could  not  bu^ 
recognize  the  resemblance.  The  dead  man  is 
he  beyond  a  doubt.  The  identification  of  the 
other  three  was  not  less  prompt  on  arrival  here. 
Two  were  declared  to  be  Younger  boys,  and 
the  third  man,  the  one  wounded  in  the  mouth, 
as  Al.  Carter,  a  notorious  desperado  from  Texas, 
who  has  been  with  the  gang.  The  Younger 
boys  are  Bob  and  Cole.  The  men  killed  at 
Northfield  have  been  known  as  Clell  Miller  and 
Bill  Chadwell,  though  Chadwell  is  claimed  to 
be  Bill  Stiles  on  very  good  foundation.  It  is 
very  likely  that  the  latter  name  has  been 
adopted  for  the  purpose  of  outlawry.  Mr. 
Russel,  who  has  known  the  Younger  boys  from 
the  earHest  time,  says  before  the  war  they  were 
not  remarkably  bad  boys,  but  by  no  means  the 


286  MISCELLANEOUS. 

straightest-laced  Sunday  school  scholars.  They 
became  members  of  Mosby's  guerrillas,  where 
they  were  initiated  to  deeds  of  blood  and  vio- 
lence, and  the  life  of  a  bushwacker,  and  have 
so  lived  ever  since.  The  cruelty,  the  utter  dis- 
regard of  the  many  bloody  rights  of  war,  the 
cold-blooded  atrocity  of  their  deeds  made  them 
outlaws,  to  be  hunted  after  the  war's  close,  and 
therefore  to  be  outlaws  always. 

A  special  dispatch  to  tlie  Missouri  Republi- 
can^ dated  at  Fairbault,  Minnesota,  Sept.  26th, 
says  that  much  excitement  prevails  over  the 
capture  of  two  of  the  Younger  brothers.  It 
was  feared  they  would  be  taken  from  the  jail 
and  hung,  but  good  counsel  prevailed  and  no 
fears  of  lynching  were  now  entertained.  Cole 
and  Bob  Younger  were  not  so  badly  wounded  as 
at  first  supposed.  A  company  of  75  well-armed 
men  are  on  guard  day  and  night,  and  fears  were 
apprehended  of  a  release  of  the  prisoners  by 
their  friends. 

A  special  dispatch  to  the  Globe-DeNiocrat,  St. 
Louis,  of  the  26th,  says  that  the  James  boys,  or 
at  least  those  supposed  to  be  the  James  boys, 
are  being  still  pursued,  with  the  hope  of  yet 
capturing  them. 

The  editor  of  the  Mankato  Revieio  inter- 
viewed the  Youngei-s,  who  told  him  the  reason 


MISCELLANEOUS.  287 

tlie  casliier  was  killed  was  tJiat  he  readied  for 
his  revolver  and  tliat  one  of  tlie  party  killed 
him,  as  he  supposed,  in  self-defence.  The 
prisoners  waived  examination  and  were  com- 
mitted without  bail. 

The  Younger  brothers  ha"sdng  plead  guilty, 
have  been  sentenced  to  the  Minnesota  State 
Prison  for  the  term  of  their  natural  lives. 


i-V^' 


:'l^rM^SIi»^^'l>-  <1 


